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NICHOLAS COMENIUS: 



YE PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOLMASTER 



YE OLDEN TIME. 



WILLIAM RIDDLE. 

M 



LANCASTER: 

WICKERSHAM PRINTING COMPANY. 
I8 97 . 






Copyright, 1897, 

BY 

WILLIAM RIDDLE. 



G ift from 
the Estate of Miss Ruth Putnam 
Oct.6,1631 



TO THE FEW 

Qld Schoolmasters 

WHO YET LINGER AMONG JIEN 

IN THE SILVi.RY HALO OF 

A RIPE OLD AGE, 

THIS WORK 

IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED BY 

The Author. 



PREFACE. 



In the reminiscences of Nicholas Comenius, the aim 
has been to present a faithful picture of conditions in 
school life, which during the past forty years have 
come within the observation and experience of the 
writer but which now exist only in memory. 

The book has been written, not to glorify the old 
nor to reflect unjustly on the new, but rather with the 
hope that it may deepen a love and inspire a more 
lasting veneration for the old schoolmasters of other 
days, around whose memory still linger, in the hearts 
of the older generation, so many endearing recollec- 
tions of their boyhood days. 

Believing that there was enough of good in the older 
dispensation to make it worthy of the younger — the 
3 r oung men and women who have so recently entered 
the teacher's calling — some of its salient features have 
been thrown into contrast with the new order of things. 
If the comparison is not always to the advantage of 
the present, it is to be hoped that this fact may indi- 
cate the value of a closer study of the past. 

If, upon the whole, the work shall be found to lean 
too strongly toward the old, at the expense of the new, 
fifty years of service in various relations to the school 
work, as pupil under one of the old masters, teacher, 

(vii) 



viii Preface. 

director, and for a quarter of a century a member of 
that class of public benefactors whose services are not 
at all times recognized and appreciated, may plead 
the writer's excuse. But in view of the extravagant 
claims and concessions of the new order of develop- 
ment, perhaps such a slight leaning toward one's own 
generation may only serve to restore a just balance. 

The few whose memory goes back with the writer's 
to personal relations with the old masters, will unite 
in blessing their memory; and we hope the younger, 
matter-of-fact reader, while he may smile at the gro- 
tesque side, will not overlook the other characteristics 
we have sought to portray. 

The writer is little disposed to apply to the newer 
order the caustic criticism of a new book, that "what 
was good was not new and what was new was not 
good." Nor can such a spirit be justly attributed to 
this book, which aims to favor the liberal yet judi- 
cious doctrine: " Prove all things, hold fast that which 
is good. ' ' 

Wherein our pages deal with history we have 
tried to catch the spirit of the times, and need not 
apologize for our word of tribute to the great men 
whose self- sacrificing devotion to the cause of popular 
education should inspire their descendants to a more 
lasting appreciation of their deeds and services. 

If the book shall help the reader to appreciate the 

old without depreciating the new, to receive from those 

who went before the truth they held, and apply it in 

sifting wheat from chaff, the labors of the author will 

not have been in vain. W. R. 

Lancaster, Pa. 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER I. PAGE 

From the Old to the; New i 

CHAPTER II. 
An Unpopular Official— Cornelius and his Hospi- 
tality— ^accheus and the Telescope— The Map 
Agent 18 

CHAPTER III. 
Eadamus and Marinda 33 

CHAPTER IV. 
Archey McFadden and Tippecanoe 50 

CHAPTER V. 
Dwelling in the Shadow 62 

CHAPTER VI. 
" Mother, Home and Heaven " s . 71 

CHAPTER VII. 

Stephen, the Gate-Keeper 84 

CHAPTER VIII. 
The School-house and the Oak— The Smith Shop- 
Old Blind Tom . . . 98 

CHAPTER IX. 
Simon, the Driver oe Packet Line Mail Coach No. 10. 114 

CHAPTER X. 
The Young Superintendent 126 

(ix) 



x Contents. 

CHAPTER XI. page 

An Instructor's View of Institute 136 

CHAPTER XII. 
Book Department of Institute 145 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Institute in Operation — Modern Enterprise vs. Old 

Fogyism ... 161 

CHAPTER XIV. 
The Old Director and the New— " Uncle Sol" Mc- 
Murdy and Sam Jones, M. D.— School Board 
Tactics 175 

CHAPTER XV. 
The New Era in the City Schools 1S6 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Nicholas at the Hotel 197 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Nicholas Addresses the Institute— His Guard of 

Honor — Teddy Defends his Gate 205 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
Nicholas and his Escort Looking Backward into 

the Past 218 

CHAPTER XIX. 
Nicodemus the Academician — The Free School Fight 

— Giants of those Days 230 

CHAPTER XX. 

Opposition to the System — Improved Election 

Method— The Squire and the Old Masters . . 245 

CHAPTER XXL 
Before the Examination — In the School-house— 

The Old Masters Under Fire 260 



Contents. xi 

CHAPTER XXII. page 

Examination in Arithmetic and Grammar— Mother 
Benton — The Spelling-book — The Old Masters 
Discarded 278 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

The New Teacher — The First Morning— Modern 

Methods — Orlando Hoskins Indignant .... 296 

CHAPTER XXIV. 
Seeking Quarters — The General Washington—" In- 
subordination" — A Friend in Need 313 

CHAPTER XXV. 
Emden Fair Week — Orlando's Unfulfilled Proph- 
ecy 327 

CHAPTER XXVI. 
The Teacher on Trial — Mother Benton Interposes 
— Insubordination in the City— Change of 
Quarters— Village Gossip 344 

CHAPTER XXVII. 
Nature Study— Nicholas Appointed Superintendent 

— Death of his Predecessor 359 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 
Another Date for Ascension— Orlando Mistaken 

Again — Oscar Bently in the Old Fort .... 375 

CHAPTER XXIX. 
Robert Returns to Emden — Why did he Come Back ? 
— The Parson's Wife — Welcomed by the Direc- 
tors 384 

CHAPTER XXX. 
President Lajkins in Full Dress — He Alarms Oscar 

Bently — Ebenezer's Speech to Robert .... 396 



xii Contents. 

CHAPTER XXXI. page 
Parting with Hannah — The Holiday Season — Or- 
lando BRINGS MAEINDA TO SCHOOL— ROBERT DE- 
NOUNCES his Doctrines 408 

CHAPTER XXXII. 
Shaky Hollow— A Mysterious Procession— Robert 
Disappears— Orlando Tried for Kidnaping— 
The Tost is Found 420 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 
Robert Vindicates Orlando — The Parson's Recan- 
tation—The Faded Flower of Shaky Hollow 
—Peace and Good-will . • 431 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 
The Old School-house Deserted— Robert is Wanted 
Elsewhere — Hannah as Teacher — May-day 
Festival— Their Wedding 443 

CHAPTER XXXV. 
Preparing to Leave Nicholas— Strangers Arrive — 
Nicodemus Escorts Them— Their Identity Re- 
vealed — Conclusion 462 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Nicholas Comenius Frontispiece. 

Gov. Andrew G. CurTin xiv 

The New and the Old xxii 

Nicholas Leaving the Court House after his Defeat, i 2 

Pestalozzi in his School at Stanz 14 

Hospitable Cornelius 20 

Zaccheus and the Telescope 23 

The Map Agent 28 

The Black Beauties 42 

Nicholas Awakens Honest Stephen 86 



Contents. xiii 

PAGE 

The Smith Shop 107 

Blind Tom's School-house 112 

Packet Line Mail Coach No. 10 120 

In the Court House Corridor 146 

Nicholas Invited to a Seat 160 

Nicholas Entering the Sitting-room 196 

Nicholas Taken by Storm 206 

Nicholas Addresses the Institute 210 

The School-house under the Oak 220 

Gov. George Wolf 236 

Thaddeus Stevens . 238 

Gov. Joseph Ritner 240 

Thomas H. Burrowes 242 

The Old Masters under the Oak 266 

The Ordeal Begins 268 

Orlando Hoskins 308 

Hannah Directs Robert to the Inn 312 

Robert at the General Washington 314 

" Closed for Insubordination " 323 

Robert Sees Fmden Fair 328 

Robert Defends Himself 341 

Mother Benton Sets Aside the Verdict 346 

Nicholas Commissioned Superintendent 366 

Returned from the Churchyard 368 

The Ascension Does Not Take Place 376 

Oscar Returns to Amelia 381 

Triai, of Orlando Hoskins 426 

The Burial of Myra 440 

" Blessed are the Peacemakers " 442 

Wedding under the May-pole 45S 

Friends Reunited 468 




(xiv) 



GOV. ANDREW G. CURTlN. 



> 



INTRODUCTION 



Sometimes one wishes there was less truth in the 
old saj-ing "of the making of books there is no 
end" (Eccl. xii. 12), so many books are made of 
nothing and for nothing and get nowhere. The 
book here presented is not of that class. In my 
judgment it is a valuable contribution to our educa- 
tional literature, because the incidents and the pictures 
which it gives of bygone da}-s, show wherein true 
progress has been made. Every chapter bears evi- 
dence of the author's desire to preserve in the form of 
anecdote and story the things connected with our edu- 
cational history which are rapidly passing into ob- 
livion. In a pleasant way he seeks to teach the lesson 
that the new is not to be accepted without question 
because it is new, nor is the old to be rejected because 
it is old. True progress is made by pointing out and 
eliminating the defects of the present and by preserv- 
ing and perpetuating at the same time the essence of 
what the past and the present have achieved and are 
achieving for the benefit of future generations. 

The author is fond of the old, and seeks to do justice 
to the men of former days. He exposes their follies, 
prejudices and superstitions, and yet credits them with 
good sense in accepting the new after the}" saw its real 

(XV) 



xvi Introduction. 

merit and superiority. If here and there he seems to 
lean too strongly toward the older period, it is an 
amiable weakness in contrast with the current methods 
of heralding what are claimed as discoveries and 
reforms. 

The sketches strung upon the thread of Nicholas 
Comenius' narrative are true to life, as many of the 
older readers will recognize; to the younger genera- 
tion they will be ancient history in a form that they 
too will enjo}f, and from which they can scarcely fail 
to draw the lesson which the author means to teach. 

Here and there the characters may be somewhat 
exaggerated, especially where the humorous side of 
the author came uppermost, but even this adds to the 
originality and piquancy of the whole. 

The stor}' of Robert and Hannah is suited to the 
taste of a class of readers— we are glad to believe a 
growing one — who do not read for excitement so much 
as for quiet enjoyment; and in this we find good 
judgment. 

If the criticisms on some forms of our educational 
system seem severe, we may remember that the author 
knows whereof he speaks, and that in this as in other 
fields, " all is not gold that glitters." 

The strictures upon the method of conducting the 
county institute deserve the attention of those en- 
trusted with the management of these annual gather- 
ings. Pennsylvania has the best system of institutes 
that can be found anywhere in the United States; but 
it would be folly to claim that no improvement is pos- 
sible in the method of conducting them, or in the 
quality of the instruction that is given by the lecturers. 



Introduction. xvii 

The anecdote in which the book agent wins the 
School Board by the judicious present of a book, is 
inimitable. It is indeed difficult to determine where 
legitimate influence stops and bribery begins. The 
present of a drink or of a cigar, of a hospitable meal 
or of a free car ride, may be in essence of the same 
nature as the bribe which secures pernicious legisla- 
tion or large appropriations. That this sin should 
have crept into our School Boards and thus poisoned 
the very fountains of our system of public instruction, 
may well cause the friends of popular government to 
sit like Marius and meditate upon the future of the 
republic. 

Tricks at examinations belong to the lower type of 
school morality. A higher stage in the growth of the 
will is reached when the idea of right inspires the 
teacher and his pupils and enables them to say: " I 
would sooner fail than cheat." The school must 
cause those connected with our system of public in- 
struction to value right above success; otherwise we 
cannot hope for the revival of an order of statesmen 
who " would sooner be right than President." 

Ignorance is the mother of superstition. Although 
the early settlers of Pennsylvania never burned witches 
at the stake, they cherished many superstitions of 
which sad traces still remain in the life of the people. 
The closing chapters of the book show how a good 
teacher may revolutionize the thinking of a com- 
munity; how sound knowledge gradually dissipates 
prejudice and superstition, and silently begets higher 
forms of piety and religious life. 

The chief merit of the book lies in the fact that it 



xviii Introduction. 

pours a flood of light upon the two most critical 
periods in the educational history of Pennsylvania. 
One of these culminated in a victory that was achieved 
not by the sword, but by the greatest speech Thad- 
deus Stevens ever made. The other came with the 
creation of the Count}' Superintendency and the estab- 
lishment of our system of State Normal schools. 
While the Act of 1854 was pending, Henry Barnard 
examined its provisions and assured its friends that if 
it should become a law, Pennsylvania would have the 
best common school system of any state in the Union. 
Ex-State Supt. H. C. Hickock calls this period "one 
of the most disturbed and difficult and critical periods 
ever known in our school history. Its like can never 
be seen again." Effort after effort was made to 
abolish the office of County Superintendent. 

The fact that Gov. Bigler had signed the Act of 
1854 helped to defeat him at the next election, and his 
successor, Gov. Pollock, in speaking of the pressure 
upon him, remarked that it was about as much as a 
man's life was worth to stand by the County Superin- 
tendency at that period. It was also during Gov. 
Pollock's administration that the fight for Normal 
schools was made. The character of this fight is not 
as well understood as it should be, and a few details 
will help the reader to appreciate the situation. The 
Act creating State Normal schools was drawn in an 
emergency on a Sunday by Dr. Burrowes, and was put 
through the House by Andrew G. Curtin, then ex- 
officio Superintendent of Common Schools, and by his 
deputy, H. C. Hickok, under the most adverse cir- 
cumstances. It had passed the Senate without a dis- 



Introduction. xix 

senting vote. "It so happened," says Mr. Hickok, 
" that the bill could not be called up for consideration 
until the last day of the session on which bills could 
be considered, and there were a number of important 
bills in which leading members were interested that 
were before it. Mr. Curtin in consultation with the 
Speaker and Committee on Education, and other friends 
of the cause in the House, arranged to have the Nor- 
mal school bill taken up on motion out of its order, 
and had as he believed secured votes enough to sus- 
tain the motion. . . . The leader of the House, Mr. 
Foster, a liberally educated gentleman of great influ- 
ence, and a good common school man in a general 
way, had an important bill of his own on the calendar, 
and was not likely to yield precedence to the Normal 
school bill without a struggle, in which case the odds 
would be heavily against us. Although politically 
opposed, Mr. Curtin and Mr. Foster were warm per- 
sonal friends, and Curtin took it upon himself to hold 
Mr. Foster in check if possible until the required forms 
of legislation could be gone through with. When the 
time came for action, Mr. Curtin and Mr. Foster were 
standing in the aisle near Mr. Foster's desk, engaged 
in earnest conversation. The motion to take up the 
Normal school bill was instantly challenged by a call 
for the yeas and nays, but being carried, the Clerk, 
Captain Jacob Ziegler, who was in the secret, pro- 
ceeded to the second reading of the bill, which being a 
long one, took some time, although rapidly done. 
Mr. Foster became very restive before it was com- 
pleted, and turned to the Speaker twice to move its 
indefinite postponement; but Mr. Curtin, with court- 



xx Introduction. 

eous insistence, persuaded him to let the reading go 
on, as the bill would be through in a very few minutes. 
Tha House was very still during the reading, and 
many curious eyes were turned toward those two dis- 
tinguished gentlemen conversing so earnestly, but 
very few knew what that colloquy meant. They had 
before them the remarkable spectacle of the premier 
of an administration standing on the floor of an oppo- 
sition House, holding the opposition leader under 
moral duress against his will while passing a bill over 
his head — a piece of diplomatic audacity, skill and suc- 
cess without a parallel in parliamentary history that I 
ever heard of. . . . If the bill had not passed at that 
session, it would not have been passed to this day; be- 
cause by the next session combinations would have 
been made amongst the higher institutions of learning 
and some potential friends of education to compass its 
defeat or make sweeping changes in its character and 
provisions, whether for the better or not cannot here 
be discussed." 

Two Governors, Wolf and Bigler, failed to be re- 
elected largely on account of the stand which they had 
taken in the interest of common schools. In each in- 
stance, their successors, Ritner and Pollock respect- 
ively, although of opposite political faith, took up the 
work in spite of popular clamor and the most bitter 
opposition, and carried it forward to the lasting benefit 
of posterity. Thaddeus Stevens, although elected on 
an anti -school ticket, saved the system by his elo- 
quence and his logic, and proved that although a poor 
plank in a platform may be helpful in stepping into 
office, it is not a good thing to stand on after the ship 



Introduction. xxi 

of state is moving forward. At a later day, Andrew 
G. Curtin, by work more effective than oratory, saved 
the County Superiutendency and paved the way for 
the establishment of our splendid system of State 
Normal schools. If a politician differs from a states- 
man in that the former looks forward to the next 
election, while the latter looks toward the next gener- 
ation, then surely Wolf and Ritner and Stevens and 
Curtin deserve to rank as statesmen. 

Through the epoch-making period in which these men 
were the moulding factors of our educational history, 
the author of this book asks the reader to follow the nar- 
rative of Nicholas Comenius, who was an interested eye- 
witness of the first examination in which the County 
Superintendent took the place of the Squire and the 
Committeemen of former days. That other states are 
now following the Pennsylvania plan of prescribing lit- 
erary and professional qualifications for those who hold 
the office of County Superintendent, argues well for the 
wisdom of the men who framed the Act of 1854, and 
lends additional interest to the portions of the book 
which bear upon this epoch in our educational history. 

The author of Nicholas Comenius deserves the special 
gratitude of those who feel an interest in rescuing 
from oblivion the factors that gave us our beneficent 
system of Common Schools. 

Nathan C. Schafffer. 

Department of Public Instruction, 
Harrisburg, Pa., July 13, iSgj. 




(xxii) 



THE NEW AND THE OI«D. 



NICHOLAS COMENIUS. 



CHAPTER I. 

FROM THE OLD TO THE NEW. 

IT was the year that marked the sixtieth anni- 
versary of the adoption of the Common School 
System in Pennsylvania. Around the old Court 
House in the metropolis of Blackwell county had 
congregated, on a bright, crisp November morning, 
a throng of young men and women, exchanging 
greetings and congratulating themselves upon the 
prospect of a week of professional work and enter- 
tainment. They were teachers gathered from all 
parts of a great county, in attendance at the 
Annual Teachers' Institute. 

Beyond the mirth in store for them and the fond 
dreams of pleasant associations to be found, their 
thoughts did not seem to wander. They had sev- 
ered the ties of the school-room, at least for a 
season, and come forth with joyous hearts to enter 
a new field of intellectual activity. 

The cosy, well-equipped rural school far away on 
some lone hillside, and the numerous little temples 

i 



2 Nicholas Comenius. 

of learning dotted here and there over the broad 
acres of Blackwell county, stood deserted and for- 
saken during this bounteous Thanksgiving week. 
The merry voices and the gay shouts of laughter 
of the little ones were no longer to be heard on the 
playground. Their books were resting high up on 
the shelf in the sitting-room of the unpretentious 
homestead, out of reach ; while the boys and girls, 
forgetful of their daily tasks, were playing hide- 
and-seek around the shocks of golden fodder. 

Only an occasional constituent, on his way to 
partake of a neighbor's Thanksgiving hospitality, 
would stop in front of some deserted school-house 
and wonder how the teacher's stock of new-fangled 
notions was to compensate for the increased tax-rate 
and a week's time frittered away at the teachers' 
meeting. But the young educators of Blackwell 
county, buoyed up with the last month's salary and 
the pleasures that only a week's professional enjoy- 
ment can give, gave little heed to their far-off 
routine of duty. 

The antiquated Court House, in which many a 
hotly-contested legal battle had been fought, around 
which tradition still lingers, was the center of at- 
traction. Within its time-stained walls had con- 
gregated a fair percentage of the teaching force of 
a great Commonwealth. Its interior was tastefully 
decorated with choice flowers and evergreens, while 
directly over the judicial altar was suspended the 
American flae — emblem of our cherished liberties. 



From Old to New. 3 

But aside from these decorations, the old flag, 
and a few patriotic remarks, was there anything of 
such special importance as to give to this reunion 
precedence over that of the year previous ? At all 
events, it was such a gathering of enthusiastic 
teachers, as in the judgment of the young superin- 
tendent was best adapted to the county in which it 
was held. The programme was of the pre-arranged 
stereotyped order, and when set in motion by the 
presiding officer, moved with the regularity of 
well-adjusted mechanism. The list of professional 
instructors was in many respects the best the 
Literary Bureau could command or the institute 
afford ; while the only conditions imposed upon the 
members were first, the annual membership fee, 
and second, prompt daily attendance. 

Some years previous, a change had taken place 
in the management of the schools of the county. 
Nicholas Comenius, who had held the position of 
Superintendent, with the exception of a short 
interval, for nearly a quarter of a century from the 
date of the act creating the office, having failed to 
keep in touch with the advanced public sentiment 
the spirit of the times seemed to demand, had been 
ruthlessly thrust aside, and a young Normal School 
graduate elected in his place. At many consecu- 
tive elections in that long series of years, Nicholas 
Comenius had been his own worthy successor; but 
after his defeat the tenure of each superintendent 
was limited to a single term. This triennial rota- 



4 Nicholas Comenius. 

tion, in a most responsible office, was due in part 
to the large number of political aspirants, with 
whom qualification is always of secondary import- 
ance, but in the main to that peculiar tendency in 
the human mind to oscillate from one extreme to 
the other ; to that untiring zeal after the unattain- 
able, that causes men to transcend the bounds of 
experience and prudence. One class proposed to 
root out the very last remnant of old-fogyism, 
whether relating to teacher or director, to make 
room for the new ; to remove the landmarks set by 
the wisdom of the past, and erect them on new 
lines of advanced thought. Another, and the more 
numerous class, argued that no system of education 
was useful except the practical kind — that which 
had for its ultimate object and aim, pecuniary gain. 
A few, however, believed that education based 
merely on the accumulation of wealth was in direct 
conflict with the spirit, if not the letter, of the act 
creating the common school system. Between 
these conflicting opinions the constituents of Black- 
well county found themselves at the close of the 
official career of Nicholas Comenius. 

Whatever may have been the shortcomings of 
Nicholas, he was in the broadest sense of the word 
one of the pioneers of the system. There was 
neither system, classification, nor unity of action 
on the part of the directorship, nor a progressive 
public school sentiment on the part of the masses. 
There were times, indeed, when Nicholas was wont 



From Old to New. 5 

to say, "Truly the lights are dim, the foundations 
insecure, and nothing seems certain save the un- 
certainty that everywhere prevails." To harmon- 
ize conflicting opinions, to go forth like the early 
missionary, preaching the light of the new doctrine 
on highway and byway, among the rich and the 
poor, the ignorant and the learned, was the mission 
of Nicholas Comenius. The wrath which the 
various acts of the Legislature passed from time to 
time had engendered among the masses, found 
vent at times and fell with crushing force on the 
head of this public benefactor. He, however, 
never took a backward step, but like a faithful 
pioneer, kept straight on in the line of his profes- 
sional duties as he understood them. 

Nicholas Comenius, who claimed to be the lineal 
descendant of the distinguished John Amos Come- 
nius, had received more than an average education. 
Being a favorite with old Jimmy, the master of the 
school at Emden, he continued to plod along within 
its dusky walls until he had passed well into his 
teens. It was then that fortune favored young 
Nicholas, despite the general protest, of the rural 
population. After leaving the village school, 
Nicholas Comenius fell heir to the proud distinc- 
tion of being the only country lad of Emden who 
had ever been permitted to attend a distant acade- 
mic institution. This special privilege accorded 
him was due more to the noble name he bore than 
to any special desire on the part of his parents to 



6 Nicholas Comenius. 

favor such a course of instruction. Indeed, the 
tendency of the times was directly the opposite; 
for the thrifty settlers at that early day were con- 
tent to live within themselves and for themselves, 
having their own peculiar customs, traditions and 
local history, and caring little for the bustling 
world without. A common bond of good fellow- 
ship, a generous hospitality, a deep affection for all 
old-time customs and a marked respect for old age, 
were virtues of which these people could rightfully 
boast. It was this reverence for the traditions of 
other days, and especially for that staid old philo- 
sopher of the sixteenth century, that gave to young 
Comenius a standing in the community that he 
could have attained in no other way. It was but 
natural, then, that Nicholas as he grew in years 
should appreciate the distinction accorded' him, for 
the name of Comenius was a household word, 
revered by these sturdy tillers of the soil. 

It is not, however, to the early period immedi- 
ately preceding the adoption of the new school 
system, nor to that somewhat later period when 
Nicholas Comenius was monarch of all he sur- 
veyed, that I would now direct the attention of the 
reader, but rather to a time when the new condi- 
tions were pressing hard upon the old, and when 
self-preservation with him became indeed the first 
law of nature. 

Opposition had now begun to manifest itself 
from a source wholly unexpected. If there was 



From Old to New. 7 

one thing in the work of Comenius on which he 
prided himself more than any other, it was his 
manner of conducting the County Institute. Econ- 
omy with Nicholas was neither a penny-wise nor a 
pound-foolish theory. He was an ardent, firm be- 
liever in the principle that on all important ques- 
tions pertaining to the practice and theory of 
teaching, careful, thoughtful conference of one 
teacher with another always produced the best re- 
sults ; and in this view he was at all times sustained 
by the great majority, at least of the older teachers. 
Nicholas, in justification of his course, was at all 
times prepared to back up his arguments by excel- 
lent authorities, among whom none stood higher 
than his ancestor, John Amos Comenius, whose life 
and example he had ever held as the ne plus ultra 
of all that was truly noble and enduring. But 
Nicholas failed to realize that among the new con- 
ditions that were forging their way to the front, the 
teachings of that staid old philosopher had few 
advocates. And so, when the Literary Bureau 
directed his attention from time to time to the 
growing wants of the system and the beneficial 
effects resulting from the employment of a corps of 
highly eminent instructors from abroad, Nicholas 
only smiled, shook his head, and continued in the 
line of his professional work. It was strongly inti- 
mated in many of these gratuitous communications 
that the old man was steering dangerously close to 
the dead line, and that to prevent a fatal collapse 



8 Nicholas Comenius. 

or early disintegration of the entire educational 
fabric, a living, vital force was necessary. It was 
also pointed out, in unmistakable language, that 
too great a percentage of old fossils was to be found 
in the ranks of the profession, in a county esteemed 
for its general intelligence in other directions. It 
was even intimated that a radical change in the 
personnel of the institute was most desirable ; and 
that the pruning-knife should be brought into ser- 
vice, and much of the dead timber that for years 
had proven a hindrance to a vigorous, healthy 
growth of the system, should be lopped off. In 
fact, the day came when the institute of Nicholas 
Comenius was spoken of at all moderuly equipped 
teachers' meetings, as "a thing of the past," not- 
withstanding the fact that the practical results 
attained, as shown in the various schools of the 
county, were of the highest order. While Nicholas 
Comenius, now well up in years, had a profound 
respect for the young Normal School graduate, 
there lingered in the bosom of this faithful public 
servant a mine of pure love for the little army of 
old schoolmasters who had grown gray in the 
service. Nicholas was in no sense of the word " a 
back number." He fully appreciated the growing 
wants of the system, but he was, at the same time, 
loath to break in on a class of old teachers in any 
single locality, when he felt assured that honest 
service was being rendered alike to rich and poor. 
Nicholas Comenius, in the goodness of his 



From Old to New. 9 

rugged nature, may have discriminated at times in 
favor of some old veteran, with a big heart and a 
growing family ; but he always satisfied his con- 
science with the thought that the young could 
afford to wait, at least until they had reached the 
years of discretion. But above all these minor 
considerations, to Nicholas important in them- 
selves, there were other binding ties — associations 
of a personal nature — that he could not overlook. 
For had Comenius not lived through that exciting 
period that gave birth to the Common School sys- 
tem? Was he not the same Nicholas who was a 
living witness of the first public examination ever 
held in the little red sandstone school house at 
Emden, in 1854, by one who held the position of 
superintendent but one short year, and who, in the 
discharge of the duties of his office, had laid down 
his young life for the cause he so much loved? 
Had he not seen the eight old masters thrust into 
the cold world by one sweep of the pen, to make 
room for an equal number of New England pro- 
fessors? Could these early impressions ever be 
entirely eliminated from his memory ? 

Dear reader, have you ever taught a district 
school in some remote place, far away from kind 
friends and among strangers, where a familiar face 
is seldom if ever seen ? If so, can you recall the 
first visitation by the county superintendent — more 
especially if he were one of those big-hearted men 
whose very presence is an inspiration to all that is 



io Nicholas Comenius. 

good and noble? Then yon can appreciate the 
emotions of many another lone schoolmaster when 
brought into communion with the object of many 
longing desires. Have you ever known a Nicholas 
Comenius, as kind and loving in his rugged nature 
as a child, and yet as broad, as brilliant and as 
comprehensive as it seems possible for man to be- 
come? Has such a broad and loving nature ever 
come in upon your little school on a cold bleak 
February day? Can you, if teacher you be or have 
been, picture a scene in life's battle around which 
cluster more endearing reminiscences of by-gone 
days? Did you forget to offer him the old arm- 
chair as you stirred up the half-dead coals in the 
stove beside which you asked him to sit ? Did you 
feel his magnetic influence as it permeated and 
electrified the whole school? The parental in- 
fluence of home life may be sacred and lasting, but 
that of the school-room, under such hallowed sur- 
roundings, has no parallel in the broad field of 
child nature. The tender and generous impulses 
unconsciously displayed in early manhood or 
womanhood may for the time be forgotten ; but as 
years roll on they will as surely return as the sun 
after a passing cloud. The world may never know 
and perhaps little cares to learn the true relation- 
ship which existed between Nicholas Comenius 
and many an old-time schoolmaster, when he 
directed, as superintendent, the school affairs of 
Blackwell county. 



From Old to New. 1 1 

But as has been said, the time came at last when 
Nicholas Comenius was to transfer the mantle of 
his authority to one younger in years and more 
closely in touch with the advanced public school 
sentiment the times seemed to demand. Was 
there sympathy for Nicholas when the vote was 
counted and the result announced? It was not 
sympathy for himself that Nicholas wanted. He 
had simply done his duty as he understood it, and 
accepted the result when it came with that perfect 
inner contentment that duty well performed al- 
ways brings. Were tears shed when Nicholas 
passed through the doorway and down the great 
stone steps ? Yes, tears of rejoicing and tears of 
sorrow T — rejoicing by the younger teachers, who 
felt that a new era had at last dawned on the pro- 
fession ; sorrow by the old masters for their head 
and chief. The defeat of Nicholas Comenius, they 
felt, carried with it a meaning that could not be 
mistaken. It was the handwriting on the wall, 
the passing away of the Old, the incoming of the 
New. When Comenius passed out of the active 
professional work of the superintendency, he had 
also passed beyond his three-score, the allotted 
time of most men, especially in the field of active 
life as educators. And so within a few brief years 
thereafter, the last old master disappeared from the 
rural school, leaving Nicholas to be remembered 
only by the few who yet lingered among men. 
How few of the hundreds of young teachers in 



'' '!,: ',•>>'..:,,,..,. 




From Old to New. 1 3 

attendance at the institute could recall even the 
name of Nicholas Comenius ! And who can won- 
der at this, when we see how great had been the 
change in the educational world which left him 
the representative of the Old, while these young 
people aspired to be considered typical of the New? 

For a new era had truly dawned upon the Penn- 
sylvania teacher. The old educational ship, in the 
opinion of many, had become waterlogged and 
loaded down with antiquated ideas and discarded 
methods. Having undergone extensive alterations 
and repairs, the anchor was now to be raised and 
the double rigged, modernly equipped vessel 
launched forth on an experimental sea of un- 
certainty. The few remaining trusty old seamen 
were either superseded at the very outstart, or 
thrust overboard at the first opportune moment. 

This new educational ship, in its onward course, 
was no longer to be guided bv the teachings and 
experiences of such old mariners as Pestalozzi, 
Froebel and Krusi, those master minds of nearly 
two centuries before, who had given to the world 
the very highest conceptions of child nature and 
child culture. A younger generation of teachers 
had now taken possession of the helm, and in their 
superior wisdom were to be guided in the future 
by a theoretical compass and the modern text-book. 
Whatever inspiration Pestalozzi' s little school at 
Stanz may have thrown around the old school- 
masters of earlier years, was now to be swept aside. 



From Old to New. 1 5 

These were the conditions, dear reader, that pre- 
vailed in the closing years of the official career of 
the venerable Nicholas Comenins. But, far off in 
the distant horizon, under the guiding star of a 
trusty captain, we now may see the dim outlines of 
the old educational ship returning to the harbor of 
its earlier days. L,et us hope that the life, the 
light and the inspiration which hovered around the 
school of Pestalozzi may yet serve to guide the old 
ship in the direction of a more permanent and 
lasting future. 

But in this stirring age of future possibilities, 
how many of my younger readers, following the 
example of the antiquarian, who delves among 
buried cities in search of some lost art or hidden 
treasure, stand ready to buckle on the armor of in- 
vestigation and follow Comenius down this en- 
chanted highway to the birth of the new system ? 
And how many, having resolved to make the jour- 
ney, will have the fortitude to continue to the end? 
A few, no doubt, will make the attempt ; here and 
there one genial spirit may be found willing to 
complete a chapter or two, and then turn aside, 
leaving the task to be completed by some old-time 
pedagogue. "Life is too short," says one, " to 
waste in rummaging through the cobwebs of an- 
tiquity." Another shakes his head, turns his back 
to the past, and rushes forward to join the multi- 
tude in its onward march for what the future may 
have in store. 



1 6 Nicholas Comenius. 

But, dear reader, before entering on our journey, 
let us take a retrospective view of the educational 
pathway. As we stand upon our lofty eminence 
and survey this extended avenue, what a panorama 
is spread before the patient and observant reader ! 
Midway in the distance we behold the half-way 
mile-stone, the dividing line between the Old and 
the New. Be}'ond that line the great majority of 
our teachers are as strangers in a strange land. 
Along that section of the highway of time, to their 
young minds all is a wilderness. Here and there, 
it is true, may yet be seen the remnants of some 
long-since-abandoned academic institution, and by 
the wayside the ruins of some lone school-house, 
but the last old schoolmaster has passed away for- 
ever. 

Ah, but let us reverse the search-light of in- 
vestigation and throw it forward upon this, the 
close of the nineteenth century, and how vastly 
different are the conditions to be met on every 
hand. Along this modern highway, an army of 
young, enthusiastic teachers from the thousands of 
cosy, well- equipped rural schools, step forward to 
bid us welcome. In the distance loom up before 
us the Normal schools, so bountifully endowed by 
a generous people, and from whose spacious halls 
have gone forth this army of young educators to 
bless the land. But even from this luminous high- 
way, guarded by its long line of illustrious senti- 
nels, branch off many by-ways and cross-roads that 



From Old to New. 1 7 

modern engineering has constructed. Where the 
sun shines brightest are many blind leaders of the 
blind, wearing the garb of the professional teacher. 
Follow the footsteps of Nicholas Comenius, dear 
reader, and he will lead you in safety down through 
the sixty years of that exciting period that gave 
birth to the common school system. 
2 






CHAPTER II. 

AN UNPOPULAR OFFICIAL— CORNELIUS AND HIS 
HOSPITALITY — ZACCHEUS AND THE TELE- 
SCOPE — THE MAP AGENT. 

The recollections and experiences of Nicholas 
Comenius, as they are related, in the following 
chapters, may not be altogether new to many of the 
older teachers who have passed through an era 
contemporaneous with that of our aged historian. 

Here and there in the Commonwealth of Penn- 
sylvania, a few old residents may yet be found who 
can point, with more or less pride, if not to 
Nicholas Comenius in person, at least to his coun- 
terpart; for the Act of Assembly that forty odd 
years ago created the Superintendency, applied to 
all the counties of the State. It is safe to say that 
in three-fourths of the districts, a large majority of 
the rural population was arrayed in open opposi- 
tion, not only to the law but to the individual in 
office as well. There was no one single official, 
with the possible exception of the tax collector, 
that was more intensely hated. Few Superintend- 
ents were fortunate enough to escape this unreason- 
able crusade, that at times enlisted the sympathies 
18 



An Unpopular Official. 19 

of even the better class of the community. An 
outward expression of sympathy in favor of either 
the law or the man in office, rendered the unfor- 
tunate individual who uttered it, whether of high 
or low degree, an object of ostracism. Men of busi- 
ness, of known literary taste and of social position, 
if once suspected of sympathizing with the new 
system of education, were made to suffer the hate 
and vengeance of the anti-school men. More than 
one public examination was broken up and the 
Superintendent driven from the school-house by a 
squad of the unruly element, equipped with drum, 
fife and horn, in defence of what they had been led 
to believe were their sacred rights and franchises. 
Only a few years ago what a volume might have 
been written by many of these faithful pioneers. 
But, alas! most of them have passed over the river 
of time, leaving Comenius and his few remaining 
colleagues as the last frail span connecting the past 
with the present, the Old with the New. 

Ah ! how many times have we heard him relate 
his personal experiences as we sat beside the open 
fire in his low dingy office, on his return from one 
of his lonely pilgrimages. I remember one eve- 
ning, after glancing over his note-book, he said : 

"Made up my mind a year ago that I'd have to 
shelve the old gentleman at my next visitation. 
You see, he's been a little careless in his discipline, 
and don't appear to be holding up his end of the 
line with the other boys. I visited his school the 



Hospitable Cornelius. 21 

other day, but couldn't see any marked change. It 
was an awful day, my friend — snowing and blow- 
ing, with roads blocked and night coming on, and 
no public stopping-place within three miles. There 
we stood facing each other, Cornelius on one side 
of the wood stove, I on the other, while Nelly, the 
mare, stood without, buried to her hips in a snow- 
drift. What to do or where to go? — that was what 
bothered Nicholas," continued he, as he raked the 
half-dead coals into a blaze. " Yes, there we stood, 
peering out into the storm, and before us, huddled 
together on the long bench, sat a half dozen ill- 
clad lads, stormstaid also. ' Fear not, my little fel- 
lows,' said the master, as he saw the tears trickling 
down the faces of the lads. ' The cabin of Corne- 
lius isn't very large, my boys, but the old master 
will always be taking good care of his little flock. 
We'll give you all a good warm supper, my lads, 
and then we'll pack you all together in the old 
buffalo robe, and when morning comes round you'll 
all feel like a piece of toast fresh from the oven. ' 

" Then there came a rap at the door and a pleas- 
ant voice from without : ' Cornelius ! I say Corne- 
lius! Give the Superintendent an invite to step 
over and partake of the hospitality of one who will 
never see a lone traveler and his poor brute perish 
in such a storm.' 

"Then Cornelius, looking me squarely in the 
eye, said in a half-mistrustful tone : ' Will you, 
Mr. Superintendent, condescend to accept lodg- 



22 Nicholas Comenius. 

ment in the humble cabin of an old schoolmaster, 
such as you may find it ? ' 

"'Accept it?' said I; 'why bless you, my old 
friend, the comforts of your little home, Cornelius, 
unpretentious though it be, are to me a thousand 
times more acceptable than the most lavish hand 
could provide in a palace where love is a stranger. 
But Nelly, the mare, Cornelius?' 

"'Never mind Nell, Nicholas, but follow the 
lads and the old lady, who's been making a path 
for our convenience. Brindle will be only too glad 
to share her bed with the young critter on such a 
night,' was the reply of the tender-hearted school- 
master, as he began to cover a few live coals for an 
early morning fire. Ah," added Nicholas, as he 
wiped away a tear, "and such a repast! And what 
a bed of downy feathers, thought I, as I laid myself 
down to offer a prayer of thanksgiving that Nicho- 
las Comenius still lived to protect the old school- 
master and his willing helpmate." 

"Then you did not cancel his certificate?" we 
asked. 

"Cancel it!" he replied; "Cancel it, did you 
say ? — and could you have done it ? " 

Then, after raking up the dying embers, and 
watching the curling smoke as it . circled upward 
through the old chimney-place, Nicholas turned 
from the pathetic to the humorous, and with a 
twinkle in his eye, remarked : " Ever hear of old 
Zaccheus and his telescope? Beats all how slow 



Zaccheus and the Telescope. 



23 



some people are to catcli on to the improvements 
of the age! Zaccheus, you see, was president of 
the boys' academy over at the forge. 'Twas along 




ZACCHEUS AND THE TELESCOPE. 



about harvest that Zaccheus employed an astrono- 
mer to give the lads a peep through that wonderful 
instrument; for the astronomers had been predict- 
ing a total eclipse of the moon for months previous. 
Well, there stood the telescope in front of the 



24 Nicholas Comenius. 

Academy, pointing squarely at the old gentleman 
in the heavenly orb at an angle of fifteen degrees, 
when old farmer Nathan came riding along, all out 
of breath. 

"'Zaccheus!' exclaimed he, at the top of his 
voice, 'if it's that infernal cannon you're after 
firing, it might be well to shift the nozzle a little to 
windward, as the old farm buildings are in direct 
line, and without a dollar of insurance either.' 

"'Why Nat, my honest old friend,' retorted 
Zaccheus, 'it isn't a cannon at all; only a telescope, 
that the scientists have invented for making obser- 
vations of the moon.' 

"'A telescope! What's a telescope, Zaccheus? 
Thought sure it was one of the old Revolutionary 
field-pieces that had been resurrected from over be- 
yond the Forge,' was the reply of Nathan, with a 
sigh of relief. 'But, Zaccheus,' came the inquiry, 
as the old farmer began to grow impatient, ' what's 
in the moon, anyway, that's causing you to be 
wasting your precious time over such a new-fangled 
machine? Seems you arn't being paid by the 
constituents for such silly nonsense ! Better keep 
directing the minds of the lads to earthly affairs, 
instead of soaring around among the heavenly 
planets in search of the spiritual, that the parsons 
are employed to gather out of the Scriptures. 
Time enough, Zaccheus — time enough, old man, 
to be soaring around when you hear old Gabriel's 
trumpet summoning you to make the ascension. 



Zaccheus and the Telescope. 25 

Mighty uncertain kind of notions, Zaccheus, for 
one of your years to be instilling into the minds 
of growing lads !' 

"Just then Zaccheus, by a neat adjustment of the 
instrument, caught a beautiful view, unusual even 
in the moon, and waving his hand and beckoning 
to the boys, said: 'Come here, boys, and see what 
a fine view lies over there. It is simply grand, and 
another proof that the unaided eye of man is blind 
to the greater glories of God's creation.' 

" The boys, one after another, gazed through the 
telescope and expressed their delight and astonish- 
ment at so wonderful a revelation. One of the 
lads, who was more of a wag than a scientist, said 
he fancied he saw some familiar faces staring at 
him in the moon, and continued to gaze through 
the instrument, talking as he gazed : ' By Jove, I 
believe they are having a harvest picnic over 
yonder ! There is a large hamper filled, no doubt, 
with summer sausage; the best of cheese, bread 
and butter, and a few jugs of well-brewed home 
mead, such as old Blackwell county is famous for. 
Save me, boys ! if one of the stoppers hasn't popped 
out, and I see the foaming liquid running down 
the sides of the jug! It makes my lips water! 
What a sight of a lifetime, boys ! But I feel very 
sorry for the good stuff that is going to waste over 
there.' 

" Old Nat couldn't stand the pressure any longer 
— indeed he couldn't," chuckled Nicholas; "so 



26 Nicholas Comenius. 

leaping from his mare, he rushed up to catch a 
view of this wonderful picture, portrayed by the 
waggish young student. Nat gazed intently, but 
failed to discover any familiar faces, or any signs 
of the harvest picnickers; but he did own that the 
sight was most astonishing, and that there might 
be a good chance over in the moon for some enter- 
prising fellow to plant a colony of farmers and give 
a new impetus to the Homestead L,aw. Then 
turning from the instrument and mounting his old 
nag, he turned and said : 'All very well Zaccheus; 
It may be very good farming up there in the moon 
for some, but old farmer Nathan would sooner 
have a half acre right here beside the old Academy 
than a whole plantation up there.' " 

And so for hours Nicholas would sit and recount 
his reminiscences of by-gone days, while actively 
engaged in his official labors as Superintendent of 
Blackwell county. Casting his eye toward the 
dingy wall, upon which was suspended a time-worn 
map of the United States, with the Great American 
Desert conspicuously portrayed in its outlines, he'd 
smile and say : " Common enough, these wall maps, 
in every district in Blackwell county nowadays; 
not so, however, in the early times. I remember 
well when the first set was placed on exhibition in 
Bear Creek school. Why bless me, the whole 
neighborhood turned out, bent on burning the 
maps and smoking out the master. 'Twas along 
about Thanksgiving that word reached the office 



The Map Agent. 27 

that the school was to be closed and the maps con- 
fiscated. There wasn't any time to be lost, my 
friend, I can assure you, to make the ten miles 
drive and be on hand before the commotion began. 
I found the door of the old house surrounded by a 
cordon of angry tax- payers, demanding entrance, 
and swearing vengance on the head of the agent 
who had placed the maps in the school, and who 
was now inside explaining them to four of the 
trustees. First one of the constituents would step 
up and take a peep through the window ; then 
another would follow; then they'd beckon to the 
others and exclaim : ' Come men, take a peep, and 
see what new-fangled nonsense they're introducing 
into the schools of Bear Creek district, anyway.' 

"'What are they for, Mr. Superintender? ' said 
the President of the Board, ' except to ornament 
the walls ? ' 

"'I'll tell you what they're for, men,' replied 
old Jeremiah, the charcoal burner over beyond the 
Ridge, with a flourish of his long arms ; ' it's an 
advertisement by some Western land speculator, to 
entice the young men to desert the plantations of 
Blackwell county, and get scalped in the end by 
the Indians, or lost in the Great American Desert, 
of which I've been reading quite considerable of 
late. Yes, men, that's what they're for, if I am a 
judge of such tomfoolery. ' 

"' My sentiments, gentlemen,' 'and mine,' 'and 
mine' came a dozen voices: 'and it's out of the 



T/ie Map Agent. 29 

school the maps and that agent must go, Mr. 
Superintender, or we'll smoke the master out in 
short order. Mount the roof, boys ! ' came the 
word of command, ' and close up the chimney ! ' " 

" Did they smoke him out?" I asked, as Nicholas 
fell into a reverie. 

"Why bless you, no, my young friend," retorted 
he, with his eyes still fixed upon the old map : 
" they didn't do anything of the kind. It was a 
trying time, though, such as I have had to meet 
many times before and since, whenever a new 
branch was added to the course of study or a patent 
blackboard placed in any one of the schools. 
'Come, men,' said I, as I looked them squarely in 
the face, ' follow me, and we'll go into the school 
and find out what the queer-looking things are 
made for ; and if they are pernicious to good morals, 
or conflict in any way with the Scriptures, or with 
the teachings of John Amos Comenius, we'll yank 
them into the old wood-stove in short order." 

"And did they follow you?" 

"Follow me? Xo! It wasn't Nicholas Come- 
nius that was the touchstone, but a certain charm 
that the name of John Amos Comenius always pos- 
sessed for this honest, but at times misguided yeo- 
manry. What name in history was more inspiring 
to these hardy tillers of the soil than the name of 
this sterling educator of more than two centuries 
ago? Was it not with this same John Amos 
Comenius that thousands of their early ancestors 



2,o Nicholas Comenius. 

were compelled to flee and take refuge, some among 
the mountain defiles and others in a foreign land, 
to escape the intolerance of a religious crusade? 
Ah, my friend, to this day the name of Comenius 
is dear to the hearts of these people. 

"Well, into the old house they marched, one 
after the other, where they all stood at the door- 
way with eyes on the maps and the four trustees, 
ready to desert the premises at the first signal of 
command. Took mighty careful handling," said 
Nicholas, as he stepped over and examined the date 
on the old map, that had become blackened with 
smoke and age almost beyond recognition. " Quite 
an old stager, published away back in the forties ; 
but it's the only one of the set remaining that 
caused all that excitement in Bear Creek district. 
See, there's nothing beyond the Missouri but wild 
lands and the great unexplored desert." 

"Part with the old map for a consideration?" I 
made bold to ask. 

" No, not for a fortune," came the quick response. 
"It's a picture that conveys a lesson full of mean- 
ing to young and old," added Nicholas with a sigh. 
" From a barren waste, as I recall the western 
country, it's been turned into an empire more 
powerful than the world has ever known. Of 
course, as a guide for the present the old map isn't 
very valuable ; but as a reminder of the past, it's 
like the old text-book, full of prophecy for what 
the future is to be. 



The Map Agent. 3 1 

"Yes, yes," he continued, regaining the thread 
of his story ; " this same old map was hanging 
against the wall, with the constituents eying it 
from the rear of the room. It wasn't long until 
the school was called to order, and the lads drawn 
up in line, like young soldiers on dress parade. 
Beginning with the far-off state of Maine, the 
agent kept pointing and naming, and the young- 
sters repeating, so that before the old men could 
recover their senses, the class had gone clear 
through the country from Canada to the Gulf and 
from the Atlantic to the Missouri, without a mis- 
hap. But the climax was reached when Gideon, 
the master, who had been taking private drills on 
the maps the evening previous, stepped forward, 
and endeavored to play upon the credulity of old 
Jeremiah. 'Jerry,' as was known to Gideon, had 
been a drover, and had traveled some in his time ; 
and so, when the master started to point out many 
of the towns the old man had visited in the line of 
his business operations, the old drover turned, 
shook his head and said : ' True enough, men, the 
Yankee who invented that map, as they call it, 
managed to place the towns where they belong, for 
I've been there myself many a time ; but it's as 
true as preaching that it costs plenty of solid cash 
to get there, with no free ride on the packet line or 
stage-coach either, as I have reason to know from 
experience. ' 

"'Yes, men,' chimed in the little Dutch squire, 



32 Nicholas Comenius. 

' and it's the solid cash these map agents are after, 
and no mistaking it.' 

" It stirred up a pretty stiff breeze," said Nicholas, 
as he rolled up the map, "but it's all blown over 
long ago, and now there's a full set of the latest 
improved maps in every school in Bear Creek 
district." 



CHAPTER III. 

LADAMUS AND MARINDA. 

IT was late in the evening when I arose to leave 
the veteran educator, and, as we stood within the 
open doorway of his low, dusky office, watching 
the moon as it came into view, a single horseman 
rode up and dismounted. 

"Oh, it is only L,adamns, one of the six men of 
Brimstone district school board; comes regularly 
once a month for legal advice covering some knotty 
point in the school law," said Comenius, as the 
backwoodsman stepped into the post-office opposite. 
" Come inside, if not too much in a hurry, and I'll 
relate a little episode that the old gentleman will 
illustrate before an hour goes by." 

" You expect to meet him then, on official busi- 
ness?" I remarked, as I stepped within and closed 
the door. 

"O yes; and there isn't a section of the school 
law that I haven't gone over time and again for the 
benefit of Brimstone School Board." 

" Rather a difficult undertaking, to find authority 
for the multiplicity of legal questions submitted 
annually for your decision," I suggested. 

3 33 



34 Nicholas Contemns. 

"Oh no, not by any means, my friend," he re- 
plied. " You see, the common school law was 
framed to meet every phase of the public school 
question, and is susceptible, pro and con, of almost 
any construction desirable. As a whole, it is both 
contractive and expansive, and affords those high 
in authority an easy avenue of escape from what 
otherwise might involve school boards in endless 
litigation." 

" Then you seem to anticipate the purpose of the 
old gentleman's mission?" 

" Fully, my friend; and if you are not averse to 
a little innocent amusement, I will illustrate to 
your satisfaction the versatility of the law, and how 
it can be twisted to meet the whims and caprices 
of the average school trustee. But in order that 
you may appreciate more fully the object of his 
visit, it may be necessary to acquaint you with the 
preliminary facts before the arrival of President 
Ladamus. " 

Nicholas then hastily sketched the history of the 
case. For many years Brimstone School, over in 
the charcoal region, had been under the control of 
a crusty, old, one-legged schoolmaster, whose only 
boast was that he had thrashed as many lads daily 
as there were months in the year. The school 
board, unhappily, was composed of this same kind 
of knotty timber; honest, well-meaning, but rough, 
rugged, and at times superstitious — firm believers 
in the teaching of Solomon, that to spare the rod is 



Ladamus and Marinda. 35 

to spoil the child. Once in possession of the school 
interests of Brimstone district, these six wise men 
of the charcoal-pits were destined to continue in 
office to their souls' content. If any of the lads re- 
turned home showing marks that had been in- 
flicted by the strong arm of " Old Obstinate," as he 
was familiarly known among the dusky constitu- 
ents of the ridge, a repetition of even greater 
severity was sure to follow. If the lads outwardly 
respected him, it was only for the ability he dis- 
played in swinging the shillalah. To the true 
character of Old Obstinate, Comenius was not 
blinded. He had visited his school, denounced 
with severity his mode of treatment, spoken plainly 
to the trustees, but all without avail. In the esti- 
mation of the Board, Old Obstinate's systematic 
mode of flogging had endeared him to the hearts 
of the populace, the most important of whom was 
the President. 

Ladamus, in addition to being a school trustee, 
was the fortunate possessor of the old forge and the 
finest six-mule team that ever drew a load of char- 
coal over the ridge. He had in his employ at the 
same time a young teamster, Sandoe by name, 
whose chief recommendation was his ability to 
outdo Old Obstinate in the use of the raw-hide, 
which often fell with unerring accuracy on the 
bare backs of the poor dumb brutes. The crack 
of his whip as it circled through the air and fell 
first on one, then on the other, of his spanking 



36 Nicholas Comenius. 

team, was music to the ears of the President of 
Brimstone School Board. 

Ladamus had but one child in the world, an 
intelligent, bright-eyed lad of twelve. Many in- 
deed were the times that Sim returning from 
school, and feeling the welts of Old Obstinate's 
birch rod beneath his flimsy jacket, would stop and 
listen to the whacks of Sandoe's raw-hide. He 
could bear the itching pain left by the blows on his 
own back, but he rebelled inwardly against the 
severity of the castigation administered to the poor 
animals. As time ran on, a bond of the closest 
sympathy sprang up between Sim and the "black 
beauties," as he was proud to call them. Between 
school hours, he would slip into their respective 
stalls, pat them gently on the mane, and tell them 
of his own trials and difficulties. Through these 
repeated visits a friendship sprang up between Sim 
and the poor abused creatures, that appealed with 
much force to his young nature, even though it 
failed to produce an outward expression of recipro- 
city on the part of the " black beauties." 

But all things are destined to change sooner or 
later, and Brimstone school was to be no exception 
to this inexorable law of nature. Nicholas Come- 
nius had waited long and patiently for some avenue 
through which another teacher might be, with 
safety installed there. At last, Old Obstinate fell 
into the meshes of the law, and his schoolmaster- 
ship, after forty years of uninterrupted sway, came 



Ladamus and Marinda. 37 

to an untimely end. To supply the vacancy fell in 
part to the lot of Comenius, who was not unmind- 
ful of the conditions to be met. As it happened, a 
middle-aged Yankee schoolmistress made applica- 
tion for a position at this opportune moment ; and 
as Nicholas was not slow in discovering the in- 
herent qualities of the "little midget," as he 
termed her — characteristics the very opposite of 
those possessed by Old Obstinate — the necessary 
machinery was put in operation to place her in the 
school. This being accomplished, Nicholas, after 
visiting the school on two occasions, composed 
himself to await developments, Two long months 
had since passed by, and Comenius had almost for- 
gotten the occurrence, until our attention was 
attracted to the President of Brimstone School 
Board as he dismounted and entered the post-office. 

Nicholas had scarcely concluded this preliminary 
history when there came a rap at the door. 

"Ah, my worthy friend, rather a late hour to be 
skylarking around through the metropolis of Black- 
well county, with only the man in the moon to 
guide your footsteps," said Nicholas, in his affable 
manner, as he shook the dusky charcoal-burner by 
the hand and invited him to a seat. 

" Oh yes, Mr. Superintender, rather a late hour 
to be 'skylarking' around," was the curt rejoinder; 
" but business means business, Mr. Superintender, 
and when duty calls it isn't the President of Brim- 
stone School Board that's to be found wanting," 



38 Nicholas Comenius. 

With this drawling rejoinder, he thrust one hand 
into his trousers pocket, and grasping the back of 
the chair with the other, stood staring at Nicholas 
for a moment, and then added : "There's a moun- 
tain of trouble brewing over among the constit- 
uents of Brimstone school, that I've had the honor 
to oversee for more than thirty years, Mr. Superin- 
tender ; and if it isn't squelched before election day 
comes around, there will be one trustee less to 
guide the affairs of Brimstone school district." 

"Ah, more trouble in the old school?" smiled 
Nicholas, as he turned and caught my eye. 
" Strange, passing strange, that Marinda should be 
getting into trouble with the charcoal-burners be- 
fore the term is more than half up." 

"Oh yes, there's trouble, and plenty of it, in the 
old gal's school, Mr. Superintender ; and I thought 
I'd slip over under cover of darkness to get an 
opinion favorable to the trustees, before the Yankee 
schoolmistress could put in her appearance." 

"Ah, I see! I comprehend! Nothing like tak- 
ing time by the forelock, Mr. President! Charges 
of a serious nature and well substantiated? — or 
only exaggerated rumors based largely on gossip ?' ' 

" Well, Mr. Superintender, there's where the 
trouble comes in ; some say one thing, some an- 
other; and betwixt and between lies the pint I'd 
have you decide." 

" Oh, we are now beginning to reach an un- 
derstanding, Mr. President." (Nicholas turned, 



Ladamus and Marinda. 39 

reached for quill and paper and pretended to write, 
as he humorously continued the dialogue.) " And 
can it be possible, Mr. President, that Marinda, the 
Yankee schoolmistress whom I so highly recom- 
mended to the trustees on account of her literary 
ability and high standing as a disciplinarian, has 
gone off and married the pious old parson, who it 
is true has grown pretty lonely of late, as he's 
grown older ? A mighty serious condition for the 
trustees to meet, Mr. President." He reached 
clown a volume of school laws, adjusted his spec- 
tacles and continued : " Ah, here is a provision that 
covers your case in a nutshell. No cause for action, 
I regret to say ; comes within the law of supply and 
demand, and bears out the inference to be drawn 
that what's Marinda's gain is the school's loss. 
You see, here is where the law of supply and 
demand comes in ; eliminate this wholesome pro- 
vision, and you blight the future prospects of more 
than nine-tenths of all the school-ma'ams in the 
land." 

" Good Heavens, Mr. Superintender ! There 
isn't any wedding ceremonies connected with the 
fracas." 

" Oh, now I comprehend the situation ! Died of 
a broken heart — been jilted by the hypocritical old 
parson, and you've come to secure a memorial 
tribute. Mighty considerate in the President of 
Brimstone School Board, and shows a tender regard 
for the memory of the little schoolmistress. Leave 



40 Nicholas Comenius. 

any bequests, rny friend? And were her last 
moments peaceful and happy ?' ' 

"For the Iyord's sake, Mr. Superintended Ma- 
rinda didn't — " 

" One moment more, my venerable friend ; calm 
yourself while I refer to the moral status of her 
school " (turning over the leaves of his note-book, 
while Ladamus stroked his long gray beard, strut- 
ting to and fro and gesticulating with both arms) : 
"Ah, here's her record without a blemish: — 
' Discipline, perfection ; rod abandoned and moral 
suasion substituted — the first instance of the kind 
on record ; methods of teaching far above the ave- 
rage ; general deportment of pupils of the highest 
standing' — a splendid record, my worthy old friend, 
to which I shall only be too happy to testify." 

"Holy St. Peter! Marinda didn't marry the 
parson, and she isn't dead either, Mr. Superinten- 
der ! The plain truth is, the old lady's as lively as 
a cricket, practicing moral suasion, as they call it, 
over in Brimstone school, at a rate that calls for 
prompt action. Think of it, Mr. Superintender ! 
Think of the old gal departing from the law as 
laid down by old Solomon in the Scriptures," 
(swaying his long slender form backward and for- 
ward and from side to side, and gesticulating,) "and 
it's for practicing such infernal nonsense, that's 
never been heard of before around the old forge, 
that I've come, Mr. Superintender, to ask for the 
old lady's dismissal !" 



Ladamus and Marinda. 41 

" Oil beg your pardon, Mr. President ! Now I 
fully realize the importance of your visit" (step- 
ping over and shaking Ladamus by the hand). 
"Quiet your emotions, my old friend. These little 
misunderstandings are always liable to occur among 
those holding responsible official positions under 
the common school system." (Ladamus gives a 
nod of grateful acknowledgment.) "And so you 
have come over to ask for Marinda's discharge, for 
substituting moral suasion in place of the ferule, 
or the shillalah, as you term it?" 

"Well, that's about the size of it, Mr. Superin- 
tender." 

" Ah ! now, Mr. President, have you any well- 
defined ideas as to the way in which Marinda has 
violated the provisions of the law? If so, please 
state them in as few words as possible, and I shall 
then be prepared to render an opinion." 

Ladamus stood erect, balancing himself first on 
one foot then on the other ; transferring his quid 
of tobacco from right to left, then vice versa, and 
proceeded with his statement: "You know Sim, 
Mr. Superintender, that uncommon spry chap of 
mine ; up early and late, assisting the old man 
over at the charcoal beds during the summer 
months, and attending school over at the old 
Brimstone house during the three winter months." 

" Oh yes, Mr. President, I well remember Sim, 
and a most precocious lad he is," was the reply of 
Comenius, with a look of approval. 



Ladamus and Marinda. 43 

"Glad to hear your good opinion of the lad ; he 
is a chip o' the old block, and the very image of 
his father. Well, as I started out to say, Sim, you 
recollect, attended school under the old school- 
master a year ago, in readin', writin', and 'rith- 
metic, with a little chemistry beaten into his head 
by way of assistin' the old man in diagonosing the 
kind o' metal around the ore banks. This of 
course, Mr. Superintender, gave the lad a fine 
standing among the gentry of Brimstone school 
district. There was some fault-finding on account 
of the chemistry, which was only natural : for 
many believed that readin', writin' and 'rithmetic, 
with a little spellin' thrown in to round np his 
edication, was more than enough for any youngster 
who wasn't born to be hankering after any of the 
hifalutin callings. But Mr. Superintender, the 
trouble with Marinda wasn't on account of the 
chemistry nor the spellin' ; and if hadn't been for 
the moral suasion racket, there' d have been clear 
sailing for the old edicational ship o' state around 
through the charcoal region. 

" It was long about sun-up this morning, Mr. 
Superintender, that Sandoe started out to hook up 
that obstreperous six-mule team, that's got a record 
for pure, downright cussedness. Well, things were 
moving along with Sandoe and the sly critters as 
smooth as old Dan Rice's circus on dress parade; 
and if it hadn't been for Sim and that dastardly 
off-side mule, that began kicking and backing be- 



44 Nicholas Comenius. 

fore Sandoe had given the others more than a half- 
dozen whacks with his long raw-hide, everything 
might have gone 'long without a mishap. But 
while Sandoe was whacking away at that off-side 
critter, Sim, that edicated lad o' mine, came flying 
up as fast as his legs could carry him, calling out 
at the top of his voice : ' Sandoe, I say Sandoe, use 
a little of Marinda's school-room tactics on the 
black beauties.' 'And what kind o' medicine is 
that, Sim, you'd be after giving the ondacent 
beasts?' cried Sandoe, between the lashes of his 
raw-hide. ' 'Oh, it's only a new kind of discipline 
the mistress has been practicing over in Brim- 
stone school, but it beats lickin' all hollow ! You 
see, Sandoe,' said Sim, in a soft persuasive tone, a 
way he had of handling the young teamster, ' it's 
been a pretty good kind o' medicine for old Tom 
Brown's son • Ned, who only yesterday declared to 
the mistress that it was the first school he had 
attended in his lifetime that he didn' t get at least 
five wallopings a day, from crusty old one-legged 
Obstinate.' Then Sandoe dropped the long raw- 
hide and stepped over to Sim and said : ' Sim, my 
boy, I ain't much m favor of lickin' anyway ; so 
tell me how in the deuce the mistress managed to 
break the spirit of young Ned Brown without the 
use of the shillalah ;' and so after whispering some 
nonsense in his ear and saying he'd tell him all 
about it some time on the sly, Sim started right 
over to the six-mule team, patted each of the 



Ladamus and Marinda. 45 

critters on the neck, and after whispering some 
hocus-pocus nonsense into their ears, took the 
reins in his own hands and started the unruly 
critters off at a rate faster than they'd ever been 
driven under the lash of Sandoe. Then Sim 
halted the six-mule team at the top of the hill and 
handed the lines to Sandoe; and true as you're a 
living man, Mr. Superintender, Sandoe started 
them off without a crack of the whip, and they've 
been going along under the influence of Marinda's 
moral-suasion racket ever since. 

" But, Mr. Superintender, while Sim was prac- 
ticing this hocus-pocus nonsense on Sandoe and 
the six-mule team I wasn't to be caught napping, 
for I was prying through the bars over at the old 
wagon-shed, and I riz right up and followed that 
edicated chap of mine down by the foot of the long 
slope. Says I, ' Sim,' says I, ' what kind of hocus- 
pocus nonsense have you been instilling into the 
brain of Sandoe about the dumb creatures?' Then 
Sim looked straight up in my eyes and told me all 
about how the Yankee schoolmistress had been 
practicing moral suasion among the wild lads of the 
school. ' Dad,' said he, ' there isn't any hocus- 
pocus about Marinda's teaching. It is only a way 
she has of appealing to a boy's honor. There's old 
Tom Brown's son Ned, the worst chap in the 
school ! You see, Dad, Ned had made up his mind 
on the first day of school to carry the little school- 
mistress out of the school and then take possession 



4.6 Nicholas Comenius. 

himself. All the larger boys were in the secret, 
and a jolly good time they were going to have at 
Marinda's expense! Ned said he didn't see any 
use, anyway, for the Yankee school-marm to be 
taking the place of Old Obstinate, whose teaching 
suited him, even if the lickings didn't. Well, Dad, 
some how or other the mistress got wind of Ned's 
intentions, and so, after the reading of the Scrip- 
tures, she called about a dozen of the larger boys 
up in a row, and said: "Boys, I want to form a 
' Law and Order Society,' and I want the largest 
boy in the school to be chairman." Then we all 
turned and looked at Ned, who was standing at the 
end of the row, looking down through the opening 
in the floor with a tired sort of look on his face. 
" Will Master Ned consent to accept the honor of 
the chairmanship? I see," said she, "that he's the 
tallest boy in the school, and looks like an intelli- 
gent, manly lad, who would give honor and dignity 
to the society." Then Ned looked up, and with 
tears running down his face, said : " Teacher, I 
never in all my life heard such kind words before; 
they make me feel half ashamed of what I had 
been thinking about doing." "Will you, Master 
Ned, accept the Chairmanship ?" said the mistress, 
as she took him by the hand, not noticing his 
attempt at confession. And so Ned told the mis- 
tress that he'd be willing, provided the other boys 
were ; and so we took a vote and elected Ned by 
what the mistress called a unanimous vote. Since 



Ladamus and Marinda. 47 

then, Dad, we've been holding weekly meetings 
over in the old school-house, and the mistress is the 
secretary and keeps a record of what's going on in 
the society. Oh, it's a splendid time we're having, 
Dad, and the mistress is so kind and loving, and 
uses such kind words that there isn't a boy in the 
school who would say an unkind word to hurt her 
feelings. And it's the same with the girls, Dad, for 
she started a little sewing circle, with Widow Mar- 
shall's daughter Fannie as chairman, and they 
meet every rainy day at noon-time in one corner 
of the room, while the boys are holding society 
meetings in the other. It would soften your heart, 
Dad, for the "black beauties," I know it would, if 
you would drop into the school some rainy day 
when there isn't any hauling to be done over at the 
charcoal-pits. Oh, Dad, the little mistress said only 
yesterday that she hadn't seen the face of a trustee 
inside the school-room for the three months that 
she had been in charge; but she told me she would 
be only too happy to have the President of the 
Board visit the school; said she knew he was a 
generous, kind-hearted man who meant to do his 
duty.' 'Sim,' said I, 'you kind of touch a tender 
spot in the old man's heart, my lad '; for I began to 
feel, Mr. Superintender, that I hadn't been doing 
my duty to the school, and that Sandoe hadn't been 
treating the black critters more than half right. 

" Yes, Mr. Superintender, such a heavy feeling 
came over me when Sim finished telling all about 



48 Nicholas Comenius. 

the little mistress, that I made up my mind then 
and there to join Sim and take a peep inside the 
school ; for I felt at the moment that there might 
be something more good than bad in the moral 
suasion racket, and that the little mistress was 
after all making the right kind of a man out of 
Sim. But just as I was getting ready to join Sim, 
the other trustees came riding up to the gate, boil- 
ing all over with rage and inquiring about the 
moral-suasion racket. One said the mistress wasn't 
engaged to do the sewing for the children ; another 
said he was dead against the ' Law and Order 
Society,' and that the best thing to be done was to 
move on the school in a body and bounce the little 
mistress instanter. I tried to argue the case, Mr. 
Superintender, as Sim had with me ; but I couldn't 
make the words fit as Sim did, and what I said in 
my rough way only riled them and made their 
blood boil all the worse. So as a sort of compro- 
mise I told them I'd start to the county-seat to see 
the Superintender. But since I've been standing 
here, Mr. Superintender, reflecting over the words 
of Sim, they all come back to me with such deep 
meaning that I feel like going back to Brimstone 
school district, taking off my coat, and making the 
fight of my life for that little school-mistress." 

"Ah, my sturdy old mountaineer," said Nicholas, 
as he saw a big tear rolling down the face of the 
sturdy backwoodsman: "you're the right man in 
the right place. Go back to the school ; stand by 



Ladamus and Marinda. 49 

the mistress, stand by Sim, and stand by the black 
beauties, and I pledge you my word that when the 
critical moment comes you shall have the earnest 
and unfaltering support of Nicholas Comenius." 

" Thank you, thank you, Mr. Superintender, and 
may God bless you for the light that has dawned 
upon the mind and soul of Ladamus." 

Then with a fervent shake of the hand, and the 
soft words of Sim pressing hard in upon his rugged 
nature, he stepped without, closed the door, and 
with a look of resolve upon his face, mounted one 
of his black beauties and rode westward toward his 
mountain home. 

One, two, three years had gone by, and the little 
episode was all but forgotten, when meeting Come- 
nius one day he said with a pleasant smile: "Ah, 
my friend, have you forgotten Ladamus, President 
of Brimstone School Board, and the little Yankee 
schoolmistress ?' ' 

" Oh bless you, no," I replied, " but how did it all 
turn out?" 

"Turn out," he responded: "Why, would you 
believe it, Ladamus turned out to be one of the 
most progressive school directors in Blackwell 
county ; and the little Yankee schoolmistress, fol- 
lowing the law of supply and demand, only a week 
ago became the wife of the pious old parson. ' ' 



CHAPTER IV. 

ARCHEY McFADDEN AND TIPPECANOE. 

" There is at all times a peculiar flavor associ- 
ated with a good story of certain irrepressible old 
schoolmasters," resumed Comenius, as he drew me 
aside and closed the door of his official sanctum. 
"Here, for instance," continued he, as he turned 
down a leaf of his old note-book, " is a short sketch 
of Archey McFadden, who was known throughout 
Blackwell county as 'The Long Man of the Emerald 
Isle.' Born and educated among the blackthorn 
hedges of the North of Ireland, Archey started 
out when a young man, gravitated to America, 
finally rounding up among the charcoal pits of 
Blackwell county under the euphonious title of 
Professor. This broad and comprehensive evidence 
of distinction at once made him a formidable rival 
of the many old schoolmasters of Blackwell county. 
Commanding in appearance, and blessed as he was 
with two well-formed pedal extremities, Archey 
was never known to walk to a teachers' meeting if 
it were possible for him to secure the services of 
any old quadruped within a dozen miles of his 
school. 

50 



Arc hey and Tippecanoe. 5 i 

To start out for a ten miles' walk, before the 
break of day, to borrow an old nag to cover an 
equal distance only in an opposite direction from 
his log school, was no unusual undertaking for 
Archey McFadden. Whether the old school- 
master, during his latter days, was actuated more 
by a desire to quench an inherent thirst, at any one 
or all of the many ' tippling stations ' that lay in 
his way, or to pose before his many rivals at each 
teachers' meeting astride of some old roadster, as 
the exponent of a high and dignified calling, has 
never been definitely determined. 

" It was, however, on the day preceding an 
important spelling contest, as the story runs," 
continued Comenius, " in which Gad Day, the 
' walking dictionary ' of Sassafras Ridge, and the 
shortest-set schoolmaster that ever swung a ferule, 
was arrayed on one side, with Archey on the other, 
that the latter began to scour the country round 
for some stray ' critter,' but without avail. 

"As the old schoolmaster's eccentricities were 
well known to many of his pupils, it was deter- 
mined to humor his whims in a way he least ex- 
pected. After a protracted search, their labors 
were at last rewarded by the discovery of the rem- 
nants of a once celebrated roadster, that had already 
passed his thirtieth mile-stone, and as a reward for 
past services had been turned loose to spend his 
last days in an adjoining pasturage. Little time 
was lost in communicating to their respected tutor 



52 Nicholas Comenius. 

the many sterling qualities of Tippecanoe. It was 
clearly set forth by the spokesman that the owner 
of old Tip, who resided some ten miles distant in 
one of the ' Distillery districts,' for which the 
Ridge was noted, was not averse to entrusting this 
famous record-breaker to the respected master of 
Sassafras Ridge, whom he knew to be a man of 
steady habits and stern qualities as a disciplinarian. 

"To the mind of Archey McFadden, whose eye- 
sight through age had become somewhat impaired, 
there were good and bad qualities in every horse, 
as in every boy. As to appearances — well, they 
were the most deceptive things in the world, as he 
had discovered on more than one occasion. If a 
horse had a record, he stood, in the estimation of 
Archey McFadden, the equal of any old school- 
master with a university diploma. To appear at 
the metropolis, among his many rivals, as the 
' champion speller,' astride of Tippecanoe — the 
very thought threw Archey into ecstasies of delight! 

" Long, pinched and grim, with ruffled shirt 
front, high standing collar, plaited stock with sil- 
ver buck'le, coat with long skirts, high-topped 
beaver with broad brim perched at an angle of ten 
degrees on his well-shaped cranium, was Archey 
McFadden, the respected schoolmaster, as he 
started out afoot before the break of day to secure 
the services of Tippecanoe, once the most famous 
trotter in Blackwell count} 7 . 

"After paying his respects to the numerous 



Arc hey and Tippecanoe. 53 

tippling stations, to partake of an occasional ' eye 
opener,' Archey reached the end of his journey, as 
he supposed, long before the owner of Tippecanoe 
had awakened from his peaceful slumbers. Hav- 
ing thrown aside his austere deportment of the 
school-room, and being at this moment in a happy 
frame of mind, he stepped cautiously around the 
rickety farm buildings, where, to his delight, he 
beheld Tip, the object of his longing desires, 
munching away beside a pile of hay, oblivious of 
the old schoolmaster's presence. 

" 'And indade, and here ye air, me darlint, graz- 
ing away, and none the worse for a night's outing, 
save the night air and the fear of being kidnaped 
by some jedge of valuable horse-flesh. And a 
splendid specimen ye are, me spirited pet, for a 
truth,' soliloquized Archey, as he stood in the 
early morning twilight surveying Tip from head 
to foot. ' A little weak about the groins and a wee 
bit sprung at the joints, ye are ; but its a lean nag 
for a long race, as I've often disci vered in me own 
case. But its all owing to the precious care they've 
been taking of ye and the low diet you've been re- 
ceiving for the hard work that's before ye, me 
darlint beauty.' 

"Then stepping up and placing his brawny 
hand upon old Tip's shaggy mane, he continued: 
' Och, me darlint, and it's a handsome figure you'll 
be cutting, with a saddle and a bridle, and Archey 
McFadden astride o' you, entering the metropolis 



54 Nicholas Comenius. 

of Blackwell county ! Now, if ye' 11 be only after 
acting a little dacent by a stranger, me pet, I'll be 
after mounting yer hide for a trial of yer speed be- 
fore yer master can catch a sight of yer actions.' 

"As the old schoolmaster with one bound landed 
squarely over the back of old Tip, he was startled 
by the sound of ' Stop thief!' 

" ' Och and it's a mighty onpleasant predicament 
for a respected schoolmaster to be occupying; it is 
for a truth,' soliloquized Archey, as he caught sight 
of the owner leaping over a five-rail fence. 

"'Oh, ho! a pretty time of day, stranger, to be 
caught prowling around the old plantation, astride 
the finest roadster in Blackwell county ! You may 
be a judge of blooded stock, old man, but to get 
away with anything more than your own hide this 
fine morning will require a little more nerve than 
you can muster up, when you're caught in the act 
of spiriting away my famous Tippecanoe,' ex- 
claimed the now seemingly exasperated owner, as 
he caught the old schoolmaster by his plaited 
stock, landing him squarely on the broad of his 
back. 'And who would have believed it? None 
other than old Archey McFadden, the respected 
schoolmaster of Sassafras Ridge! Pretty late in 
life for an old man of threescore years to be desert- 
ing the school-room for a calling that'll land him 
in the penitentiary for the balance of his days.' 

" 'True enough,' replied Archey, almost choking 
for breath, as he set to readjusting his neck-stock 



Archey and Tippecanoe. 55 

and the folds of his coat-tails; ' it's a blasted repu- 
tation and a broken character, it is for a truth. 
But may the holy angels bear me witness, it's only 
for the loan of the handsome critter that I'm both- 
ering ye at this time o' day.' 

"'Ah, ha! it's to the county-seat to attend the 
spelling contest, then, that brings you here,' ex- 
claimed farmer Stern, as he assisted Archey to his 
feet and grasped him by the hand. 

" ' It is, and may the holy St. Patrick witness me 
words,' came the cringing reply. 

" ' Oh, then take him, my old friend, but on one 
condition — promise me that under no circumstances 
will you allow his speed to exceed the three-minute 
limit, unless hard pressed by some gallant knight 
of the turf 

" It took but a few moments to place old Tip 
under saddle, and as Archey mounted and rode 
away exultantly toward the metropolis, he was fol- 
lowed by the voice of farmer Stern : ' Remember, 
a safe return of Tippecanoe, at a risk of a hundred 
dollars upon the head of your schoolmastership ! ' 

" The sun had risen high over the broad acres of 
Blackwell county, as Archey made his way through 
the little hamlet, near by which stood his own 
temple of learning. To the right and to the left 
he cast furtive glances, but no human form was to 
be seen. From remote nooks and corners, how- 
ever, were eyes peering out at the ungainly object 
of their cruel imposition. The snorting and 



56 Nicholas Comenius. 

wheezing of old Tip could be distinctly heard ; 
while soaring around and above, a stray vulture 
was awaiting a favorable opportunity to pounce 
down on its helpless prey. The old schoolmaster, 
conscious of the rich blood that was flowing 
through the veins of Tippecanoe, and the reception 
which awaited himself at the county seat, was in a 
state of most perfect contentment. He neither 
heard the snorts and wheezes, nor felt the pressure 
of his own weight on the dry bones of his gallant 
steed, for his mind was dwelling on more moment- 
ous issues. 

" Up hill and down hill, Archey continued to 
plod along, in all the dignity becoming the tallest 
schoolmaster in Blackwell county. Failing at a 
critical moment, however, to keep a stiff rein on 
the blooded roadster in descending a hill, by a 
sudden mishap Archey went sprawling headlong 
to the earth beneath. Gathering himself together 
as best he could, his first effort was to assist old 
Tip to his feet ; when to his astonishment he be- 
held the loss of one eye and the partial eclipse of 
the other. By one of those sudden gasps, so pe- 
culiar to confirmed cribbers, he made another im- 
portant discovery — that the celebrated trotter was 
not only deficient in eyesight, but was, at the same 
time, as toothless as himself. A further inspection 
satisfied him that while he was resting firmly on 
his ' all fours,' the shoes had disappeared, but how 
or where was not so clear to his now befuddled 



Archey mid Tippecanoe. 57 

comprehension. To provide for the loss of the 
shoes was to the mind of Archey an easy matter ; 
but to equip the old nag with a pair of new eyes 
and a full set of teeth, required a knowledge of 
veterinary surgery which he did not possess. 

"A crisis had now arisen in the life of Archey 
McFadden. His first purpose was to retrace his 
steps in search of the missing property; but the 
thought of Gad Day, the shortest-set school master 
in Blackwell county, carrying off first honor at the 
spelling contest, was more than human nature 
could endure. Reaching a level stretch of road in 
the suburbs of the metropolis, with the sun at its 
highest meridian, Archey made one desperate effort 
to revive the latent energies of his trusty steed. 
Arranging his hat on the side of his head at an 
angle of ten degrees to windward, to catch the 
breeze, and spreading the flaps of his coat-tails on 
either side of Tip, he pressed first one heel and then 
the other into the ribs of the snorting nag. To 
and fro, up and down, the tall, slender form of 
Archey McFadden swayed from side to side, sing- 
ing aloud his favorite song of ' Tippecanoe and 
Tyler too, ' as he entered the main thoroughfare of 
the county seat. 

" ' Clear the track, men, for there he comes, like 
one of the knights of the seventeenth century,' 
cried one, as he waved his hat to the crowd. ' Out 
with your old time-pieces, men, and give him the 
benefit of the record he's making,' cried another! 



58 Nicholas Comenius. 

'Give him the spur, old man, and keep a stiff rein 
on him,' came the voice of Gad Day, as the hat of 
the rider went sailing off in a gust of wind over the 
heads of the by-standers. 'You're a horseman 
worthy of the name of Archey McFadden!' came 
the voice of Farmer Stern, with a wave of his hand. 

" But with these words there was a momentary 
pause. Men and women came flocking into the 
street, uttering shrieks and throwing up their hands 
in despair; for the famous roadster had made an- 
other and a fatal misstep — had collapsed and fallen 
into a heap before their very eyes, where, after a 
few spasmodic gasps, came the end of all that was 
mortal of old Tippecanoe. 

" But what had become of Archey, the old school- 
master, who a moment before was shooting through 
the town, like a meteor — but now nowhere to be 
seen? Old men rubbed their eyes and shook their 
heads, declaring that the sudden disappearance of 
old Archey McFadden baffled their comprehension. 
' Summon a jury, men,' said one ; and ' Let the evi- 
dence be taken to be handed down to posterity,' 
cried another. 

"The first witness was the little Dutch Burgess, 
who, after crossing his breast three times in succes- 
sion, declared that he had actually seen the old 
schoolmaster caught in the talons of one of those 
unearthly scavengers that had been hovering over 
the carcass of the old horse at the very moment 
that Archey had ascended high up into the air, 



Arc hey and Tippecanoe. 59 

" ' Call for old Mother Gramm !' exclaimed the 
Burgess. ' Open the way, men ;' and a moment 
later there stood the little shriveled body, the great 
expounder of the doctrine of ' Faith Cure,' holding 
in her hand a copy of the ' L,oiig Lost Friend,' a 
book of divination, at that early day exceedingly 
popular among the superstitious. After repeating 
certain disarranged letters of the alphabet, and cast- 
ing her eyes first in one direction, then in another, 
she proceeded to account for the sudden and mirac- 
ulous disappearance of Archey McFadden, the re- 
spected schoolmaster, in the following graphic 
manner: She confirmed the statement of the Dutch 
Burgess in one particular; declared that after 
Archey had ascended to a great height the weight 
of his sins had suddenly turned his course in a 
downward direction ; that after striking the earth, 
his Satanic majesty had carried him down into 
perdition, through the soft stratum of mud for 
which the streets of the metropolis had for genera- 
tions been noted. 

"This explanation, conforming in every par- 
ticular to an old traditionary legend that had been 
handed down from generation to generation, was 
accepted by the knowing ones as in all respects 
the most plausible and convincing ; for there at 
the very spot at which Archey had gone down as 
a punishment for his many sins of omission and 
commission, lay his high-crowned beaver. At this 
important juncture and by way of additional testi- 



60 Nicholas Comenius. 

mony, the ' oldest inhabitant ' stepped up and de- 
clared that some years before, a young book-agent 
on his way to attend a school board meeting had 
actually disappeared from view, going down at 
that identical spot. 

" As old Granny Gramm was in the act of placing 
her ' Long-Lost Friend,' within the folds of her 
dress, preparatory to her departure, a loud shrill 
voice came from the off side of a big board fence 
directly opposite. 'And remember it's a hundred 
dollars that will be placed as embargo on the head 
of Archey McFadden for the loss of the baste.' 
Old men and young men stretched their long necks 
forward in the direction whence the sound came. 
' There he is, and may the Lord preserve his sonl 
in peace !' cried Gad Day, who had mounted the 
carcass of old Tip by way of adding to his own 
stature. With one bound the tall slender form of 
Archey McFadden cleared the high fence and stood 
with tears in his eyes weeping over the remains of 
old Tippecanoe, none the worse for the exciting 
escapade which had landed him unharmed on the 
remnants of an adjacent straw-pile. 

" Words of congratulation now began to pour in 
upon Archey for his miraculous escape. But old 
Granny Gramm with her ' Long-Lost Friend ' had 
quietly escaped in the excitement of the moment. 
A reconciliation was now effected, and Farmer Stern 
relieved the old schoolmaster from the hundred- 
dollar embargo on his schoolmastership. Then, 



Archey and Tippecanoe. 61 

with Archey in the lead, they all betook them- 
selves to the old school-house, where the luckless 
rider of Tippecanoe succeeded in carrying off the 
first honor. 

"For years thereafter Archey McFadden, the 
old schoolmaster of Sassafras ridge, continued to 
keep school in the old log house," concluded 
Comenius, " but he was never seen thereafter 
astride of any old nag, preferring, as he declared, 
to depend on his own shanks to carry him in safety 
to and from teachers' meeting." 



CHAPTER V. 

DWELLING IN THE SHADOW. 

IT was on the morning succeeding my visit to 
the office of Comenius, that I found him in earnest 
conversation with a number of teachers. They 
had come for consolation and friendly advice, 
touching important issues involved in their daily 
routine of labor. Among the number were two or 
three, bent and haggard, resting under the educa- 
tional burdens of many winters ; while of the 
others, a few were young women, upon whose 
pallid features was distinctly traceable the imprint 
of the burdens they too had been carrying to and 
from the school-room in their daily walks. 

" You seem to be in a more than usually happy 
frame of mind," I suggested to Nicholas, as one 
after the other had departed. 

"Yes," he replied, "it requires a happy disposi- 
tion to be an educator, for there is no other pro- 
fession in the world where a kind and loving 
nature is more necessary than in the teacher's 
calling ; and yet in the school-room, where all 
should be love and sunshine, may often be found 
teachers old and young, of both sexes, living in the 
62 



Dwelling in the Shadow. 63 

very darkness of their own shadow. Indeed, my 
friend," he continued, as we walked along arm in 
arm, " I have often thought that old John Bunyan 
must have been inspired by some faithful, consci- 
entious teacher, when he wrote his famous Pil- 
grim's Progress. If Christian, the pilgrim, had 
his share of trials and difficulties of a spiritual 
nature, the overworked teacher is not without his 
share of burdens, although of a somewhat different 
character. Of those whom I met only a few 
moments ago," he added after a moment's hesita- 
tion, " each had his tale of woe — all heavily mort- 
gaged with a weight of cares and responsibilities 
resting upon their shoulders, some real, others 
imaginary. These burdens once assumed, often- 
times continue to follow the young teacher even 
into the social walks of life, endangering health 
and strength of body and mind. 

"Ah, my friend," said he, after another pause, 
" if teachers would only cultivate the habit of look- 
ing on the sunny side of life, how much sooner 
would they forget its shadows! How often have I 
looked in upon a school only to find the master 
sullen and dejected. No pleasant smile caught my 
eye as I stepped forward and shook him by the 
hand. And as I cast my eyes over the school, 
looking for a ray of sunshine which failed to greet 
me, how often would I say, ' Old man, you are 
dwelling in the shadow, instead of on the sunny 
side of life. ' 



64 Nicholas Comenius. 

"Only a short time ago, in one of my official 
visits to a district school, it was my good fortune to 
meet a young lady teacher — young did I say ? — oh, 
no, my friend," said Nicholas, " for during her 
short experience she had changed from a rosy-faced 
girl of eighteen into a little, nervous, old woman. 
One glance at her pinched features and sallow com- 
plexion satisfied me that she had been living in the 
shadow; but where to locate the cause that had 
produced the gloom, whether in the school or in 
her own home life, I did not know. 

" The school-room was large, and the ventilation, 
while not what it should have been, was above the 
average. I examined the roll-book, and in punc- 
tuality and prompt attendance there was little 
cause for complaint. A score or more of young 
faces would now and then bob up and catch my 
eye, and as suddenly disappear behind their books 
or slates. Yes, there too I saw the same shadow 
that was hanging like a pall over the young 
teacher. It hung over the recitations in grammar, 
in arithmetic, in geography; it rested over the 
pages of the reading-book, blighting every poetic 
inspiration; it would follow the little ones to the 
playground, thence, by the rippling brook and 
smiling meadow, to their homes, there perchance to 
find lodgment in the heart of some fond mother. 
For an hour or more I sat watching for a ray of 
sunshine, for I felt that deep down in those tender 
hearts was hidden a spark which needed but a kind 



Dwelling in the Shadow. 65 

word from the teacher to dispel the surrounding 
gloom. 

" At last, the exercises being over, with much 
solicitude and a heavy heart the teacher stepped to 
my side and said : ' Oh, Mr. Superintendent, I am 
so happy to meet you ! I want to open my heart 
to you and tell you Of my many trials and difficul- 
ties. Indeed, Sir, I know that you will sympathize 
with one whose troubles are almost too weighty to 
bear. ' 

" ' Oh, have you met with the loss of some dear 
friend?' I soothingly replied. 

" ' No,' she answered as she shrugged her shoul- 
ders in a nervous manner, ' all my troubles are to be 
found right here in the school-room ; and if some- 
thing isn't soon done to bring John into subjection, 
I fear I shall be compelled to resign my position.' 

" ' Is John the only lad who has clouded all the 
sunshine of your life ? ' I asked. 

" ' Oh, no,' came her hesitating reply ; ' if it isn't 
John it is sure to be one of the other* boys. ' 

" ' Come, now, my young friend,' I suggested in 
the same subdued tone, ' point out this shadow that 
has driven all the sunshine out of your little 
school.' 

" ' Over there in the corner, by the water pail, 
he stands, Sir, as a punishment for his misdeeds,' 
came the reply, as she pointed to a half-grown lad 
who stood alone, with trousers tucked into his 
raw-hide boots. 

5 



66 Nicholas Comcnms. 

"'Is he maliciously inclined?' I asked, 'and 
have you resorted to every effort to bring his re- 
fractory nature under control?' 

"'Oh, no, not particularly maliciously inclined, 
not by any means ; but he is given to so many an- 
noying pranks as to almost exhaust one's patience.' 

" ' Ah, I see ; but have you spoken kindly to 
him, reasoned with him as you would with this 
curly-haired girl by your side — in other words, 
have you endeavored to reach the sunny side of 
his life?" 

" 'The sunny side of his life, Mr. Superintendent! 
Why, what is the use of looking for what he doesn't 
possess ?' 

" ' Well, suppose you, in a kindly way, step over 
and tell him the Superintendent wishes to speak 
to him.' 

" ' It will afford me pleasure to do so, Mr. Super- 
intendent — only too willing to perform an act of 
duty.' Then turning and stamping her foot on 
the hard floor, she called out in a shrill command- 
ing tone : 'John, come forward this very moment ; 
do you hear, or must I repeat the summons ?' 

"For a moment or two John, the young culprit, 
stood almost paralyzed ; then, with the hot blood 
rushing to his face and the eyes of the school rest- 
ing upon him, he came straggling forward to meet 
his doom. 

" ' Here he is, Mr. Superintendent, and the worst 
boy in the whole school,' came the shrill voice of 



Dwelling in the Shadow. 6 J 

the teacher, as if the more completely to envelop 
him in shadow. 

" Believing in the efficacy of kind words, I said : 
' Come, come, my lad, give me your hand ; do not 
hesitate, for I too was a boy once upon a time.' 
Then placing my hand upon his head, I caught a 
momentary glimpse of his large blue eyes and con- 
tinued, 'Do you ever smile, my boy?" 

" ' I — I — never — smile — in — the — school-room, 
Mr., for the mistress never smiles at me.' 

"As these words came in half-suppressed sobs, 
his eyes fell and tears covered his face. 

"Ah, my friend, the veil might here be drawn, 
for the victory had been won, in so far, at least, as 
John was concerned," added Comenius, as he con- 
tinued to draw a series of hieroglyphics with the 
point of his cane in the hard dry sand. " As I 
looked around over the school I noticed here and 
there a little coat-sleeve as it was drawn over eyes 
from which flowed tears of sympathy for John, 
their comrade and playmate. But there stood 
Mary, the young mistress ! It was necessary to go 
a step further, for she still stood in the shadow. 

" 'Now, tell me, my lad,' I continued, as I drew 
him closer to my side, ' have you a pleasant home, 
and are your father and mother, sisters and brothers 
kind and loving?' 

" ' Haven't got any, Mr.' 

"'No home? no father or mother, sisters or 
brothers? ' 



68 Nicholas Comenius. 

" ' No, I've never had any sisters or brothers, and 
father and mother died before I could remember. ' 
" ' And where do you live, my lad ? ' 
"'Am doing days' work, Mr., for farmer Nash, 
who lives four miles beyond the school.' 
" 'Well, has he any boys or girls, my lad?' 
" 'Never saw any, Mr., that I can remember.' 
"'Can you sing, John?' I asked, as I watched 
the effect on the teacher's expression. 

" 'No, it's not allowed around the farm, Mr., and 
the mistress won't permit it in the school-room.' 

"'Come, come,' I said, as I arose and looked, 
first at the conscientious but misguided teacher, 
and then at the long rows of anxious faces : ' what 
this school needs, what the boys and girls need, 
and what the teacher needs too, is plenty of warm 
sunshine. Throw open the windows of your young 
hearts, and let the light dispel the shadows. 
Mary,' I said, as I took her by the hand, 'cultivate 
the habit of looking on the sunny side of life, and 
you will soon forget the time when you dwelt in 
the shadow. John, my rough diamond, give your 
hand to the teacher, and promise her before the 
whole school that on each morning you will meet 
her with a pleasant smile on your face.' 

"As the sunny side of John's better nature 
caught a glimpse of the sunlight that had broken 
through the shadow of the young teacher's soul, 
Mary turned to me and said : ' Oh, Mr. Superin- 
tendent, I am so glad you came.' 



Dwelling in the Shadow. 69 

"Then I drew forth the following beautiful lines, 
and leading off we sang : 

" 'Let us gather up the sunbeams, lying all around our path; 
Let us keep the wheat and roses, casting out the thorns and chaff; 
Let us find our sweetest comforts in the blessings of to-day, . 
With a patient hand removing all the briers from the way.' 

"There wasn't much music in the boys and girls, 
nor in the little mistress, but there was plenty of 
love and warm sunshine. 

"Yes, my friend," added Nicholas, as I turned 
to leave him ; "in that short hour's visit, I saw the 
shadow lifted from that little school. As the mis- 
tress bade me good-bye, she turned and said, with a 
smile that for months had been hidden under the 
shadow: 'Oh, Mr. Superintendent, John isn't at all 
the boy that I imagined him to be. I now see that 
his little heart is full of sunshine.' 'Ah? I replied, 
as I withdrew, ' cultivate the habit of looking on 
the sunny side of life, and you w T ill soon forget you 
were dwelling in its shadow.' 

"And so, my friend, when I see an old school- 
master crochety and out of touch with the school 
and its environment, I am inclined to say : ' Get 
out of the shadow and into the sunshine.' When 
I meet, as I often do, the young beginner who is 
forever complaining of the salary, the length of 
school term and the school officials, I am prone to 
remark : ' Young man, keep on the sunny side of 
life and avoid the shadow 7 .' Above all others, let 



jo Nicholas Comenius. 

the Superintendent, in his official visits, not forget 
that over and around the young teacher he may 
cast a shadow that will darken each little heart, 
and cling to the teacher forever after. 

"Ah," concluded Nicholas, as I took my de- 
parture, " life consists not so much in length of 
years as in a sunny disposition! Cultivate the 
habit of looking on the sunny side of life, and the 
battle is won from the very beginning." 



CHAPTER VI. 
"mother, home and heaven." 

As the reader has already noted, with Nicholas 
Comenius a good story, like a faithful old school- 
master, always had the right of way. His sense 
of humor was not dulled by advancing years. I 
remember once in his later days, when we were 
together looking back on the past, he smiled and 
said : 

" Ah, my friend, a good school yarn is always in 
order. They are apt to come to the surface at each 
directors' meeting, or teachers' examination, when 
least expected. Some, it is true, are remembered 
for a day and then forgotten ; while others, like 
hard cider, increase in flavor the older they get. 
There, for instance, is the ' Mother, Home and 
Heaven ' yarn, which isn't as old as Zaccheus and 
his telescope, nor has it the age of the time-worn 
map hanging over on the office wall ; but it well 
illustrates the methods of the modern school-book 
peddler on one hand, and the susceptibility of the 
average school trustee to fall from grace on the 
other. 

" 'Twas along about six months ago, as the story 

7i 



72 Nicholas Comenius. 

runs, that the little episode occurred," said Nicholas, 
as he arose, only to recognize, on the opposite side 
of the street, the veritable Deacon Green. " It was 
at a season of the year, too, when school boards are 
always sure to have a fair crop of book agents, even 
though they should fall short of a plentiful supply 
of the necessaries of life, that Ned Pendegrist, the 
authorized agent of a Chicago book concern, acci- 
dentally happened to learn of a contemplated 
change in the reading books of Stormtown Dis- 
trict. Jumping into his conveyance one fine July 
morning, Ned started out, bent on converting the 
deacon, the President of the Board, to a favorable 
consideration of his own particular series of Read- 
ers, before the secular affairs of the week could in 
any way affect the religious impressions made upon 
his mind the day previous. But to work the 
deacon was a mighty ticklish operation, for the 
reason that he had been elected a school trustee on 
account of his high standing in the village church, 
and the forcible way he had of saying No at the 
opportune moment. In fact, on more than one 
occasion at a school board meeting he had been 
known to spring to his feet and exclaim, ' No ! 
emphatically Nof to the consternation of the 
other members, even before he had fully stated the 
motion, on which a vote was to follow. Prior to 
his own election, as a member of Stormtown school 
board, when hearing of any purchases in the way 
of globes, maps or charts, he'd exclaim in his most 



"Mother, Home and Heaven!' 73 

emphatic manner: 'What I regard, gentlemen, as 
the greatest weakness in our whole educational 
system, is the cowardice of our local directorship — 
their lack of moral courage to say No at the proper 
time. ' 

"Ned Pendegrist, you see, was not without his 
misgivings as to his ability to meet and overcome 
the whims and caprices of the deacon's strong in- 
dividuality. It is true he had in a theoretical way 
studied the old man's peculiarities; had prepared 
no less than half a dozen well-digested plans for 
attacking the weaker part of his nature ; had 
studied his physiognomy as he walked the streets 
of the metropolis on special occasions ; but withal, 
when the time came to put his theories into prac- 
tice, there was doubt and uncertainty depicted on 
the young agent's countenance. However, when 
he reached the farm, there stood the pious deacon 
by the roadside, engaged in superintending the ad- 
justment of a newly-purchased reaping machine. 
This was more than the young man had antici- 
pated, for while he was prepared to take a hand in 
a general discussion involving even the Scriptures, 
in the quiet retreat of the deacon's home life, he 
was hardly prepared to encounter him on the public 
thoroughfare. Drawing his team squarely up to 
the fence, and motioning the deacon to the side of 
his convevance, he began in his most gracious 



manner : 



I believe I have the honor of addressing 



74 Nicholas Comenius. 

Farmer Green, the President of Stormtown School 
Board, and at the same time a deacon in the village 
parish?' 

"'Yon have, young man,' came the curt re- 
joinder of Deacon Green ; ' but as I've little time 
to waste on strangers, your name and business 
would greatly facilitate matters at the very out- 
start. So your name and the purpose of your visit, 
young man, for I am a man of few words.' 

" ' My — my name is Pendegrist, Ned Pende- 
grist ; in other words, Sir, I am a traveling book' — 

" ' Never mind sir, your business I fully compre- 
hend. You're not the first book peddler that's 
been strolling round through the district, worrying 
the very life out of the other members of the Board, 
who haven't the moral courage to say No. Only 
yesterday, one of your clan followed the deacon 
into the very sanctuary of the village church, knelt 
in the same pew, and more than outdid him in his 
profession of faith. But it wouldn't work, young 
man. The deacon, you see, is a little too well up 
to the tricks of the trade to be caught napping in 
meeting by a pious young book peddler, whose 
professions of faith bore the ear-marks of his daily 
occupation.' 

'"But — as I have been credibly informed,' 
ejaculated Ned in a half-hearted way, ' that Storm- 
town School Board propose to make a change in 
their reading books at the coming meeting, I con- 
cluded to pay my respects to your honor, with the 



" Mother, Home and Heaven!' 75 

purpose of presenting you with a set of the Auto- 
matic, Self-adjusting Readers for comparison and 
examination. ' Having succeeded in breaking the 
ice, his next move was to unstrap his grip-sack, 
which stood before him within easy reach. 

"'Hold on, young man,' came the voice of the 
deacon ; ' too late, too late ! ' 

" Straightening himself up, Ned replied: ' Why, 
has action already been taken by the school 
Board ? ' 

'"No; the meeting is still some days off; but 
only a week ago I received a set of Readers, post- 
paid, and if the deacon's judgment can be relied 
on, and he thinks it can, they are the best that 
have entered Stormtown district since the creation 
of the new system.' 

"'Ah, then you haven't seen the very latest 
Automatic Series, handsomely bound, beautifully 
illustrated, and warranted to teach the whole sub- 
ject of reading by the simple device of touching a 
button within the cover of the book. Science, you 
see,' continued Ned, now that he had struck upon 
a train of thought purely original with himself, ' has 
been accomplishing wonders of late in the material 
world, and is liable at any moment to enter the 
broad domain of education, with most astonishing 
results to follow in the near future. Why bless 
me, Deacon ! everything connected with the school- 
room is liable at any moment to partake of auto- 
matic propulsion. Both teachers and directors, 



j6 Nicholas Comenius. 

many of whom are nothing more nor less than 
automata, are destined sooner or later to step 
down and out for the automatic dispenser of know- 
ledge of the most improved pattern. Better get 
yourself into line, Deacon, by taking hold of the 
Automatic Series ! Many of the school-rooms, you 
see, are already being heated by electricity, and I 
am credibly informed that all charts, globes, and in 
fact, all other school-room paraphernalia, are so 
artistically adjusted as to convey to the mind of the 
pupil all important information by an automatic 
arrangement that will insure to the rising genera- 
tion a most thorough education at the lowest pos- 
sible cost. So you see, my worthy friend,' con- 
tinued Ned, in his persuasive manner, c the average 
school-book agent should have a loftier and holier 
purpose in view than the low, mercenary one, that 
has for its object purely selfish gain. I claim, Mr. 
President, to be somewhat of a — Can I not induce 
you, Deacon Green, to accept a set of the Auto- 
matic Readers, for the reasons given? T 

" ' No, young man ! The reading books I re- 
ceived may not contain the improvements you 
mention, but they nevertheless fill the bill, and 
when the Board meets they'll go in sure as the 
deacon's a living man. I want to say in conclusion, 
young man, that when the deacon was a lad, attend- 
ing school over in the log house, he didn't know 
very much about geography, history, arithmetic 
and grammar, but he was always the best reader in 



" Mother, Home and Heaven!'' jj 

the school. And so when the Board starts out 
nowadays on a visiting crusade, one of the mem- 
bers manages to swing the geography class clear 
around the world in short order ; another steps for- 
ward, plants himself in the centre of the room, and 
with history in hand, rushes the class like an 
electric motor clear through the whole line of 
Presidents from the time of the immortal George 
Washington down to the present day, without a 
mishap. But, young man ; ' and here the deacon 
assumed his favorite attitude when in the school- 
room, ' when it comes to conducting the reading 
exercises, the Secretary says, " Deacon Green, step 
forward and show the young teacher how to con- 
duct a reading class with life and animation ! Read 
them a paragraph or two, Deacon, from one of old 
Dan Webster's masterpieces, that used to sway the 
masses away back in the thirties!" It takes, of 
course, considerable persuasion to get the deacon 
started ; but once under the inspiration of the old 
Senator, there are lively times around that old 
school-house, I can assure you, young man. But 
when I've concluded the rendering of that his- 
torical speech, there sit the teacher and the whole 
school in tears, while over on the long bench sit 
the trustees weeping more like children than full- 
grown men. Then the Secretary, looking up and 
wiping away the big tears, will say: "Now, Deacon 
Green, give the young lads a taste of something 
that'll thrill their young natures with joy, and 



7 8 Nicholas Comenius. 

make them feel that they're all soaring off among 
the heavenly planets ; read them, Deacon, yonr 
favorite poetical selection, written by one of your 
distant relatives ; read them Darius Green and his 
flying machine." Inside of a minute, young man, 
I'll have the whole school in a commotion; some 
holding on to the desks, while others keep dancing 
around, feeling that they are sitting right beside 
the deacon on Darius Green's flying machine, soar- 
ing around among the planets. Talk about your 
electric motor, young man — why, the deacon's got 
more pent-up electricity in his system than would 
run a reaping machine, if it could be properly gen- 
erated.' 

" ' Deacon Green, you are just the kind of an 
electrician I am in search of,' was Ned's rejoinder. 
' With a set of the Automatic Readers in your 
hands it is difficult to say where the school 
might not eventually land. You see, the books 
furnish the motor, while you supply the electric 
current — connect the two, and the whole problem 
of electrical propulsion is solved, and Deacon 
Green becomes a millionaire ! Think of it Deacon, 
ponder and meditate over what possibilities are in 
store for Deacon Green's family. — Allow me, Dea- 
con, to insist upon your accepting a set of the 
Automatic Readers.' 

" ' Impossible, young man ; for when the deacon's 
mind's made up there isn't any power under 
heaven that's going to change it.' 



"Mother, Home and Heaven." 79 

"Ned Pendegrist, reins in hand, was in the act 
of starting hopelessly disgusted towards the metro- 
polis of Blackwell county, when the deacon hailed 
him again : ' I say, my young friend, does your 
firm publish "Mother, Home and Heaven?" See, 
there was a smart sort of a chap around about the 
farm only a week ago, trying to sell a copy to 
Grandmother Green, who's already passed her 
eighty-ninth milestone ; but as the young peddler 
was selling on the subscription plan, and not in- 
clined to favor the deacon with a free copy, I con- 
cluded I'd- wait for a more favorable opportunity. 
Since then, tlie pious old lady's been worrying 
herself into spasms over the loss of that book, and 
if anything of a serious nature should overtake the 
tender-hearted old soul, there'd be a frightful re- 
sponsibility resting upon the deacon's conscience.' 

'"Mother, Home and Heaven ! Why bless you, 
my pious friend,' retorted Ned — now that a bright 
ray of hope had illumined the gloom — ' the truth 
is, deacon, while I've never heard of " Mother 
Home and Heaven," there isn't a book of any kind 
published under heaven that Ned Pendegrist can't 
secure, if he has to scour the world to find it.' 

" ' By the way, young man,' continued the dea- 
con, growing more familiar and patronizing, ' what 
will that work cost?' 

" ' Oh, never mind the cost, deacon ; leave the 
cost to Ned Pendegrist, who'll charge it up to profit 
and loss.' 



8o Nicholas Comenius. 

"'Ah! mighty kind and considerate of the old 
lady's feelings you are, young man. Now, let me 
take a peep through that First Reader of the Auto- 
matic Series, for your arguments have been kind 
of working on the deacon's feelings.' (Adjusts his 
glasses, reaches for and examines it with the eye 
of a trained critic, and then inquires :) ' How soon 
will that book reach the old lady ?' 

" 'Oh, I'll write for it this very evening, and by 
Friday it'll be in the hands of Grandmother 
Green,' replied Ned as he drew himself together. 

" ' Now, young man, let me take a peep through 
the Fifth Reader, for a good series is always judged 
by the higher work.' (Fumbles over page after 
page, nods his head approvingly, readjusts his 
spectacles, rubs a leaf between his fingers, holds it 
up between his eyes and the sun and soliliquizes :) 
' Seems to have the staying qualities for wear and 
tear, and the magnetic touch calculated to thrill 
a boy's very nature ! And the illustrations and the 
typography ! No second rate workmanship on 
these ! Why bless me, if here isn't a speech from 
old Dan Webster, another from the immortal 
George Washington, and a third from Abe Lincoln. 
None of these to be found in the other series. 
And best of all, my favorite poem (worth the price 
of the whole set) Darius Green and his Flying 
Machine! Are you sure, dead sure, that book' 11 
come through the mail in a few days, young man ?' 
exclaimed the now converted deacon. ' Well now, 



" Mother, Home and Heaven." 81 

Pendegrist, if Deacon Green, the President of 
Stormtown district, is a judge of good reading, and 
he thinks he is, the Automatic Series has the in- 
side track by a large majority. Take the advice 
of the deacon, young man, and strike for the me- 
tropolis of Blackwell county. No use wasting any 
of your valuable time on the other trustees ! Be 
sure to call around at the little log school-house, 
two p. m. Saturday, and you'll find the contract 
signed, sealed and ready for delivery.' 

" ' Oh, ever so considerate, deacon ! Much obliged 
for the timely examination you have given the 
Automatic Series,' was Ned's parting salute as he 
drew the reins on his trusty mare. 

" ' Don't mention it, young man ; its all for the 
good of the cause,' responded the deacon, as he set 
to readjusting certain parts of the newly invented 
reaper — musingly humming ' Mother, Home and 
Heaven,' to which he had unconsciously applied 
an old familiar air. 

" As Ned Pendegrist drove up to the little log 
school-house at the appointed hour, his heart was 
full of doubt and uncertainty as he caught a 
glimpse of the deacon, surrounded by a covey of 
book agents with whom he seemed to be in earnest 
conversation. 

"'A little late, Ned," observed the president at 
the first opportune moment. 

" 'Why? — anything gone wrong?' 

" ' Oh, no, but the other agents have been prowl- 
6 



82 Nicholas Comenius. 

ing around the district since sun-up, and they've 
just been comparing notes and showing their 
hand. All seem to have the same number of 
promises, five in all, which clearly prove the charge 
frequently made by the deacon, that the average 
director don't know how or when to say No. 

" ' Mother, Home and Heaven reach you all right 
side up with care ?' good-naturedly inquired Ned. 

" ' Better believe it, young man, and it proves 
beyond doubt that Ned Pendegrist is a man of his 
word. ' 

"An hour later, as Ned was industriously en- 
gaged in repacking his grip, to the discomfiture of 
the half-dozen other agents who were standing 
round lamenting their fate, the deacon beckoned 
him to the rear, handed him the contract duly 
signed, and said : 'Went through all right, eh, and 
proves that when the President of Stormtown 
School Board makes up his mind, there isn't any 
power under heaven that's going to change it. 
Now, hurry that contract off by the first mail — and 
by the way, young man, old Grandmother Green's 
been having more peaceful hours over " Mother, 
Home and Heaven," than she's had in forty years. 
She seems almost to grow young again over its 
many beautiful passages. Now there's only one 
other work necessary to reconcile the old lady to 
the inevitable. Ned Pendegrist' (placing his hand 
tenderly upon the shoulder of the young agent), 
'there's a counterpart to "Mother, Home and 



" Mother, Hoine and Heaven" 83 

Heaven," and if the pious old lady could but lay 
her failing eyes on "Clinging to the Cross," her 
last few remaining hours would certainly be peace- 
ful and happy. Ned Pendegrist, may I presume 
upon your generous ' — 

"'Deacon Green,' retorted Ned, rising to the 
full height of his manhood, as he departed with 
grip in hand, ' I am extremely sorry to say, that 
" Clinging to the Cross " is out of print.' " 



CHAPTER VII. 

STEPHEN, THE GATE-KEEPER. 

Long before the morning sun had cast its beams 
over the hillsides and valleys of beautiful Emden, 
on this bountiful Thanksgiving- morning, an aged 
father had arisen. Bridled and in waiting in front 
of the old homestead stood his faithful mare, Nelly, 
ready to convey him to the county -seat, where he 
had an important mission to perform. A little 
later, with his top-coat buttoned securely around 
his slender form, this lonely traveler might have 
been seen jogging along over the rough Macadam 
roadway, in communion with his own thoughts. 

"Twenty miles is a pretty long stretch of road," 
soliloquized he, as he caught the first faint outlines 
in the distance of the long pole that spanned the 
ancient highway. " But what is distance compared 
with time, and sixty years at that? True, the 
system has been making a pretty fair showing 
since sixty years ago — when Simon, driver of 
Packet Line No. 10, brought the startling news 
that the Legislature had passed the free school bill. 
Don't believe there'll be a soul around the Court 
House this fine Thanksgiving morning to welcome 
84 



Stephen the Gate- Keeper. 85 

an old educator. There'll be plenty of young folks 
hanging round, true enough, but there'll be no 
Cornelius to grasp the hand of the old man — 
blessed schoolmaster he was in his day ! Yes, yes, 
times have been changing, and things are not as 
they were when Stephen, the gate-keeper, and I 
were attending school together away back in the 
twenties. Whoa, Nell! Going to cheat Stephen 
out of his honest dues this fine Thanksgiving 
morning? Why, we'll both be arrested for violat- 
ing the statutes," exclaimed the lonely traveler, as 
his trusty mare struck the pole squarely in the 
center. 

" Hallo, Steve, my venerable friend ! Hurry 
along and give an early riser the right o' way. 
Come now, old boy, and open the gate, and finish 
your nap at high noon, when the constituents are 
feasting on roast goose and hard cider ! ' ' 

" Hum ! hum !" came the low muttering so pecu- 
liar to these lonely gate-keepers, as a faint glimmer 
from his lantern appeared through the crevice of 
the doorway. " A pretty time 'o day anyway for a 
stranger to be loafing along the king's highway, 
trying to steal his way through without paying his 
honest dues." 

A moment later the long, slender form of 
Stephen Smithers stood with distended eyes, 
swinging the lantern over his head and peering out 
at an indistinct object that stood before him. 

"It's the old mare, 'tis for a fact!" soliloquized 



Stephen the Gate- Keeper. 87 

Stephen. " Been spirited away from the old home- 
stead, sure as Steve's a living man! Yes, yes, it 
isn't the first critter that's left his master's stable 
before he'd eaten his morning oats, and it isn't 
likely to be the last, in these degenerate days." 
Then, in a commanding tone : " Guess you'd better 
dismount, stranger, and make the next twenty 
miles on foot if you're aiming for the county seat — 
which I'm pretty certain you aren't, for I've never 
yet seen one of your kind, and I've seen a good 
many in my day, who didn't switch off at the first 
cross-road. You're not the first that I've yanked 
up before the light o' day, reward or no reward," 
said Stephen, as he grasped the old nag by the 
bridle with a vice-like grip. 

" Hold on, my venerable friend," came a voice 
that sent the cold shivers down the spinal column 
of Stephen Srnithers. 

"Why bless my eyes if it isn't Nicholas Come- 
nius ! Why, the top o' the morning and a thousand 
apologies to you, my old-time educator," came the 
good-natured reply, as Stephen grasped the hand 
of the octogenarian. " Mighty glad to meet you, 
my venerable friend ; the old gate-keeper' s as good 
as ever on a grip, but his eyesight's been failing a 
good deal since we last met." 

Then he muttered to himself, with a shake of the 
head, as he fumbled over a handful of pennies for 
the exact change: "There's an important school 
meeting; holding; forth somewhere over at the 



88 Nicholas Comenius. 

county seat, sure as Steve's a living man. Yes, 
yes, something more powerful than roast turkey 
and cranberry sauce has been enticing Nicholas 
Comenius to be deserting the old homestead at 
such an hour on this glorious Thanksgiving morn- 
ing-." 

"Pretty stiff breeze blowing," said Steve, look- 
ing up into the old man's face, that was partly con- 
cealed by an old-fashioned three-ply scarf that had 
protected him for many a long year from the cold 
winter's blasts. "Any one over along Sassafras 
Ridge or at Shaky Hollow getting planted or 
spliced this fine morning?" he continued, as he 
threw the long pole into a perpendicular position. 

"Well, no, Steve, my faithful watchman, there 
isn't any one getting planted or spliced that I can 
recall," came the laconic reply. "The plain un- 
varnished truth is, Stephen my boy, it's just sixty 
years ago that old Governor Wolf disappointed 
more than nine-tenths of his Dutch constituents by 
planting his signature squarely on the Common 
School law. After thinking the matter over, it 
occurred to me to take a run over to the county 
seat and take a peep in at the teachers' institute. 
You see, the old folks around the village called a 
meeting, and the chairman said : " Nicholas Come- 
nius, as you're the one man in the whole country 
round whose name stands first on the list among 
the pioneers, it will never do to let the exercises of 
the young educators on this Thanksgiving anni- 



Stephen the Gate -Keeper. 89 

versary slip by without your being present to tell 
them a fact or two worth knowing about the olden 
times.' " 

"True as preaching," replied Stephen; "hope 
they'll be inviting you to a front seat on the judges' 
stand. But I've been reading the papers, Nicholas, 
and it strikes me there isn't anything mentioned 
in the programme about any Thanksgiving anni- 
versary. You see, it's been a rule of the institute 
ever since you were voted out of the office, to have 
the programme cut and dried for more than a 
month before the time for setting it in motion ; and 
reminiscences of the olden time aren't likely to cut 
much of a figure these days. There's one pro- 
fessor, Nicholas, to lecture on philosophy of teach- 
ing; another on physiology — new-fangled subjects, 
that have just been added to the curriculum, as 
they call it ; another on deduction and induction — 
things that didn't have a place in the schools when 
Nicholas Comenius was running the machine, or 
when you and I were attending school as boys 
over in the little red sandstone school-house. ' ' 

"Steve, old boy," replied the aged father, as 
memory carried him back to other days, ' ' those 
were happy times, when old Jimmy kept the vil- 
lage school, and went boarding around among the 
wild lads of the village. Bless me, it starts the 
tears flowing when I think of the days when you 
and I were boys, Stephen, sitting on the slab seats 
by the old wood stove. There's a history about 



90 Nicholas Comenius. 

the little old school-house that's never been written, 
but as you say, it isn't the kind of history the 
young professors are looking for nowadays. Come, 
my pet, hurry along, for the sun's well-nigh risen, 
and your old bones are shaking from the fresh 
morning air. Good bye, Stephen, and be sure to 
keep a sharp lookout for the light-fingered gentry, 
and make them render a good account of them- 
selves as they go prowling along over the king's 
highway before the break of day," was the parting 
salutation of Nicholas Comenins, as he galloped on 
toward the county seat, twenty miles away, leaving 
Stephen standing in the open doorway meditating. 
"Sixty years ago!" soliloquized Stephen Smith- 
ers. "Who would have thought it? And Nicholas 
Comenius as hale and hearty as on the first day he 
was elected Superintendent of Blackwell county! 
In those days no man did greater service, and no 
man stood higher in his own county, than young 
Nicholas Comenius. Yes, yes, young Nicholas 
then, old Nicholas now," was the gate-keeper's 
revery as he followed the long stretch of road, to 
make sure that his old friend had passed safely be- 
yond the dangerous hill that lay before him. Pass- 
ing into his cabin and throwing himself on his low 
cot, he buried his face in his hands and wept. 
What thoughts passed through the mind of Stephen 
Smithers the world may never know, and perhaps 
as little cares. Let it be here said that the gate- 
keeper was possessed of more than average intelli- 



Stephen the Gate- Keeper. 91 

gence; had held the honorable position of squire as 
well as schoolmaster; had served under Zachary 
Taylor in the Mexican war, and for thirty years 
had earned his bread in his present humble posi- 
tion. But woe to the wild lads who undertook to 
play their pranks upon this defender of the king's 
highway ! On his feet he was as swift as an ante- 
lope, as many a wayward lad had discovered to his 
sorrow in attempting to evade his honest dues. 
Without hat, coat or shoes, Stephen was known to 
keep well on the trail of the swiftest horse, and, 
when least expected, would pounce down upon his 
unsuspecting victim, demanding what in justice be- 
longed to the gate known by his name as " Honest 
Stephen." 

The sun was well up when Stephen awoke from 
the sweet slumber into which he had unconsciously 
fallen, and, going to the door that led to the loft 
above, said: "Ted, my young urchin, it's about 
time for you to be stirring yourself this fine 
Thanksgiving morning. Get a move on, my spry 
young chap, and see that Captain Jack gets a good 
square meal, for there's twenty miles twixt the 
county-seat and the sly critter, that will have to be 
covered before the teachers' meeting ends this very 
noon." 

A few moments later little Ted, a lad of nine, 
stood face to face with his aged grandfather, with 
whom he was spending his Thanksgiving vacation. 
Patting the little fellow on the head, and looking 



92 Nicholas Comenius. 

down into his large blue eyes, he exclaimed: 
"Teddy, my boy, it's a fine man you'll be making 
of yourself one of these days if you keep growing 
as you've begun." Then raising the young lad 
and holding him at arm's length on the palm of his 
large, brawny hand, he said: "Teddy, my young 
hopeful, there's a teachers' meeting over at the 
county-seat this very Thanksgiving day." 

"Knew that more than a month ago, grandpa; 
yes, more than two months ago ; for if there hadn't 
been, your little grandson wouldn't be assisting 
you in collecting toll this fine Thanksgiving day," 
came the quick response. 

"A mighty knowing lad, my precious darling," 
retorted the old gate-tender as he clasped the lad 
to his bosom. "Ah, ha, I see, I see! These 
teachers' meetings have their uses, if they do have 
their abuses. Ha, ha! no teachers' meetings, no 
vacation for the young chaps ! Bless me, it takes 
a growing lad, and a city chap at that, to straighten 
out an old man's ideas," added Stephen, as he set 
to whistling one of his old familiar airs. Drawing 
the little fellow beside him on the low cot, he 
stopped whistling long enough to remark : 

" Master Ted, my boy, can I trust you?" 

" Trust me, your own little Teddy ? Why 
grandpa, of course you can trust me. ' ' 

" You see, Teddy my lad, there's a feeling against 
these city chaps coming out into the country visit- 
ing. Too much schooling, they say, isn't helping 



Stephen the Gate- Keeper. 93 

their manners and their morals, and makes them 
proud and 'stuck up,' and not as polite and accom- 
modating to strangers as they ought to be. There's 
been a falling off in good manners, Teddy, among 
the young folks since I was a lad. See it every 
day, right here, on the old State Road. It's been 
my experience, Teddy, that not more than one out 
of a hundred ever tips his hat or hails the old gate- 
keeper with, 'It's a bright spring morning,' or 
' How is the health of Stephen Smithers to-day ?' 
No, no, it's either 'Hello there, old man!' or a 
dozen ill-mannered expressions that aren't a credit 
to the fine school buildings they're having over at 
the county seat." 

"Why, grandpa, you talk like an old school- 
master. Did you ever teach school ?' ' 

"Yes, yes, but 'twas many years ago, when old 
Nicholas Comenius, whom you've never heard of, 
my little grandson, was the Superintendent. In 
those days the young lads didn't know so much, 
but it was hats off and a " Good morning, master,' 
when they entered the school. But Teddy, my 
boy, it's to the county seat old Stephen must go 
this very hour, and it's to your charge the gate is 
to be entrusted during this Thanksgiving day, if I 
can trust to your carefulness. Teddy, my boy, did 
you ever keep books?" 

"Keep books, grandpa? Why no, I've never 
kept books, but I've read through more than a 
hundred over at the Boys' Library." 



94 Nicholas Comenius. 

" No, Teddy, I mean did you ever keep accounts 
in a book or on a slate? " 

"Of course I have, grandpa. Why, my slate 
and scrap book, over in the teacher's desk,, are all 
covered over with figures ; some in addition, some 
in subtraction, others in multiplication and divi- 
sion, with fractions too." 

" Come now, Ted, what are you giving the old 
man, anyway?" 

" True, grandpa, true every word. And besides, 
I've been studying reading, spelling, grammar, 
composition and language, geography, history and 
physiology. Then I've been taking private les- 
sons in vocal and instrumental music ; practising 
in the gymnasium, on the typewriter, and in the 
military drills." 

"Why, who'd have believed it?" replied 
Stephen, with a doleful shake of the head. " It 
don't seem at all natural ; for when Stephen Smith- 
ers was attending school over at the village it took 
a whole winter to learn the multiplication table 
and the alphabet, and when a young man of nine- 
teen struck vulgar fractions he was away up at the 
head of the graduating class. There's something 
mighty queer about this new education that's puz- 
zling to an old man's brain ! Come here, my 
young mathematician," continued Stephen, empty- 
ing a bag of coin into the lad's hat. "Count this, 
and if there be no mistake in the reckoning its 
your old grandfather that'll have use for your ser- 
vices on this Thanksgiving day." 



Stephen the Gate- Keeper. 95 

With this, the lad's first practical lesson in num- 
bers, Stephen Smithers took his way to the door, 
looking first in one direction, then in the other, for 
he hadn't taken in a stray copper since Nicholas 
Comenius had disturbed his early slumbers. 

"Ho! grandpa," cried little Ted: "the count is 
completed, with a big lot of the queerest kind of 
money left over that I ever laid my eyes on. It 
isn't like anything the city folks have, grandpa. 
Why, where did it all come from ? ' ' 

"Ah ha, my lad," chuckled Stephen, as he in- 
stinctively kept his eye along the great stretch of 
road that lay like a panorama before him. " It 
needs a sharp eye and a clear conscience to be an 
honest gate-keeper. You see, my young lad, these 
spurious coins fell into the till in a way you've 
never dreamed of." 

" Weren't given then by honest travelers, were 
they, grandpa?" asked the little fellow. 

" Well, no, not exactly by travelers, but by some 
of Stephen Smithers' honest neighbors, who 
wouldn't think of robbing Stephen out of a cent 
in a business transaction. You see, Teddy, as it 
may be a lesson for you in morals, I'll give you an 
example that you may profit by in the future. 
Along comes honest John Smith, who's been 
attending market over at the county seat. Now 
honest John discovers on his way home that he'd 
been nipped by a city chap with a pewter or Mex- 
ican dollar. Says he to his good wife who sits by 



9 6 Nicholas Comenius. 

his side : ' Nancy, it's a shame to stick an honest, 
hard-working farmer, who's been np early and late, 
trying to make an honest penny tending market.' 
So he fumbles that spurious coin over and over, 
saying to his willing helpmate : 'It's the profit on 
a barrel of apples, or a basket of butter! Guess 
we'll stick it on to honest Stephen.' So he nudges 
the old lady as he says: 'It's a fine morning, Mr. 
Smithers,' or it's been a long dry or a long wet 
spell; or 'the times are growing so hard that an 
honest farmer can't make a living any more,' and 
slips the spurious coin into the gate-keeper's hand. 
But when Stephen Smithers makes the discovery, 
Teddy, as he sometimes does, if not too dark, and 
turns and says: 'This stuff's no good; only so 
much base metal that isn't worth more than a 
nickel a pound, ' the old gentleman reaches for it, 
adjusts his spectacles, looks it over and over, then 
hands it to Nancy, and she holds it up likewise, 
turns it round and round, and with a knowing 
shake of the head says : ' What's the country com- 
ing to, any way, Stephen Smithers, when these vile 
city hypocrites set to robbing an honest farmer out 
of the profit of a whole day's marketing? " 

"But grandpa," asked little Ted, "were all those 
queer-looking pieces given you by such people?" 

" Oh, yes, my inquisitive pupil, they're all my 
best neighbors, whom I have known for many 
years," was the old gate-keeper's reply, as he 
caught sight of Captain Jack standing without, 



Stephen the Gate Keeper. 97 

ready to convey him to the county seat. Once 
more the old gate-keeper drew the lad to his side; 
this time as he sat astride of Captain Jack, the 
trusty roadster that had been presented to him 
when a mere colt, as a token of friendship and 
esteem, by his Board of Directors — and once more 
he embraced the lad, printed a kiss upon his fore- 
head and said : 

" Teddy, my boy, keep a smile on your face and 
a kind word on your lips for the stranger, be he the 
judge of the court or the lowly in station. Be sure, 
first, to render the exact change to the outside 
penny ; then pull the long rope, and the lifting of 
the pole will give to every honest man the right o' 
way over the king's highway." 

With this wholesome advice, Stephen Smithers, 
the rough diamond, beloved for his simple man- 
ners, esteemed for his sterling integrity, took his 
way westward, but for what purpose he alone 
knew. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE SCHOOL-HOUSE AND THE OAK — THE SMITH 
SHOP — OLD BLIND TOM. 

As Nicholas Comenius passed safely beyond the 
dangerous cliff, known at an earlier day as the 
"Round Up," his thoughts naturally wandered 
back to his boyhood days, and thence to the scenes 
of his later struggles, when he was the most im- 
portant factor in the educational councils. Now 
he was to all intents and purposes as dead to the 
outer world as though he had never had an exist- 
ence. What had impelled him, at such an ad- 
vanced age, and at such an unseemly hour, to 
wander forth from the old homestead on an errand 
for which the world little cared? Was he simply 
dreaming his life over again? Was his mission 
but an hallucination of the mind, enfeebled by de- 
clining old age? These were the thoughts upper- 
most in the minds of the few who had recognized 
Nicholas, as he jogged along on his gray mare, 
that had reached an age relatively as great as his 
own. 

What had induced Stephen to entrust the gate 
known as "Honest Stephen" to Teddy, a lad of 

98 



The School house and the Oak. 99 

nine, while he went galloping on toward the 
county-seat? Was he also impressed with the con- 
viction that perhaps a change in the mental condi- 
tion of Nicholas Comenius had actually taken 
place? Indeed, there was room for well-grounded 
belief that Nicholas had simply strayed away from 
the old homestead, under the delusion that he was 
still in charge of the institute that was in active 
operation on this Thanksgiving morning. 

But if Nicholas Comenius was dead, so to speak, 
to the outer world, in his inner life, around which 
clustered the reminiscences of a sweet and fragrant 
memory, lie was an active, living personality. 
There, within the limits of his own pleasant home, 
he had retired years before from active life, and 
the cares that so often follow in its train. But 
Nicholas never grew old, in the ordinary accepta- 
tion of the term. His genial disposition, kind and 
loving nature, and the love he bore the old town, 
with its traditions extending back over two cen- 
turies, were a panacea for all the ills and shortcom- 
ings consequent to frail human nature. Nicholas 
firmly believed in the preservation of at least the 
inspiration surrounding many of the traditionary 
landmarks that still lingered among the new con- 
dition.; that time and an enlightened public senti- 
ment had so marvelously wrought. If others, 
younger in years, contemplated the destruction of 
the little red sandstone school-house, and the 
cherished oak under which it had stood for so 



ioo Nicholas Comenius. 

many long years, Nicholas would exclaim, with a 
shake of the head : 

"Yes, yes, the hillsides and valleys, the meadows 
and water-courses, may have their charms for 
others; but to the heart of Nicholas Comenius this 
giant of the forest conveys a lesson full of mean- 
ing." Looking upward among its branches he'd 
add: "Was it not here, around its huge trunk, 
that the boys and girls formed a circle, taking each 
other by the hand, as Lafayette, that noble French 
patriot, on his triumphal march through the land, 
away back in the early thirties, consecrated the 
very ground upon which we are now standing to 
the cause of religious liberty? Has the old man 
forgotten," he would appealingly say, "that stir- 
ring event and the parting words of the hero of 
many a hard-fought battle, as he gave one and all 
a fervent good-bye, and a 'God bless the school,' 
ending with: 'Boys, have respect for the master, 
love and honor him, and guard the old tree; care 
for and protect it in the years to come, as it now 
protects the old school-house, the master and his 
little flock?' What a beautiful lesson of admoni- 
tion," Nicholas would conclude, as the young 
officials stood by the old tree, with axe and saw in 
hand, "and how appropriate to the authorities of 
every school-nouse in the land !" 

"And were the words of the patriot heeded in 
after years?" comes the suggestive question from a 
score or more young teachers. My young friends, 



The School house and the Oak. ioi 

the words so often uttered in defense of some old 
landmark have not been without result; for Emden 
is known far and wide for its stately and majestic 
trees. And beyond the town, on the sites where 
the old school-houses once stood, but where the new 
ones now stand, and towering upward as a protec- 
tion to each, you will find a stately oak; young in 
years, it is true, and only a sapling compared with 
the parent tree, but in coming years, as other boys 
and girls sit beneath its shadow, it too will equal 
in size the giants of the forest. Take the lesson 
with you, my young friends, to the beautiful 
valleys and fertile fields where the blessings of the 
new system have been most largely felt, and where 
oak and hickory, elm and birch, were once the 
pride and glory of man. There, on the sloping 
hillside, or in the valley below, stands perchance 
your own temple of learning, perfect in architec- 
tural design and equipped with all the latest 
school-room appliances, but as desolate without as 
the sands of the desert. No tree, no shrubbery, as 
a protection against the rays of the summer sun- 
shine or the blasts of the fierce gales of winter. 
Why should this ever be so? Why should not 
each school in the land lay claim to some cherished 
oak, and once a year meet with appropriate exer- 
cises beneath its overhanging branches? And, be- 
fore the first signs of decay set in, why should not 
some lad, following the example of Nicholas Co- 
menius of sixty years ago, plant an acorn close by 



102 Nicholas Contenius. 

the parent tree, and thenceforth care for and watch 
its growth, from early boyhood to manhood, and 
thence into declining old age? 

Nicholas Comenius may have been a back num- 
ber in the eyes of many of his illnstrions successors, 
the modern educators, but he was a firm believer 
in the beautiful sentiment that "he who makes 
two blades of grass grow where only one grew be- 
fore is a public benefactor." And as he saved the 
old oak from the woodman's axe, Nicholas also 
protected the little red sandstone school-house. 
"Yes," he'd say, when it was proposed to demol- 
ish the old structure, " there isn't much left of the 
old house, boys; it's like the old man himself, only 
a relic of former days and unfit for use; but it's the 
only friend and companion that's left me. It isn't 
at all handsome in the eyes of the lad who keeps 
school in the new house over there; but it suited 
me and the other boys, and Jimmy the master, and 
I'll see no harm come to it now." 

Is it at all surprising, then, that on the day pre- 
ceding this lovely Thanksgiving morning, Nicholas 
had resolved to re-visit the scenes of his early boy- 
hood days? From this long-deserted structure and 
its surroundings had come an inspiration that took 
possession of his very nature. For a moment be 
stood beneath the now lifeless branches of the ven- 
erable oak, where he had stood so many times be- 
fore; then he passed along the old pathway, once 
so familiar to other footsteps but now overgrown 



The Schoolhotcse and the Oak. 1 03 

with gray, coarse weeds and brambles, and reached 
the door of the old house with its rusty, creaking 
hinges. There, upon an old desk, shattered and 
time-worn, he beheld the inscription, the work of 
his own handicraft, "Nicholas Comenius, 1834," 
and a few paces beyond, the old jack-knife, rnsty 
and broken. Ah, what fond recollections of by- 
gone days crowded themselves one upon the other, 
as Nicholas bent over the frail slab desk to make 
sure that his failing eye-sight had not deceived 
him. There, true enough, were the letters en- 
graven deep into the hard, yellow pine slab, and 
there the one-bladed knife, with its rough bone 
sides still intact. Then, like the shifting scenes 
of a panorama, the recollections of a lifetime passed 
before the mind of Nicholas Comenius. 

"Yes, yes," soliloquized Nicholas, as he rode 
onward, "I recall the occasion as if it were but 
yesterday We were all sitting about on the long 
slab seats, I a lad and Jimmy a young stripling of a 
master, when old Simon, the driver of Mail Coach 
No. 10, rapped at the door and in a loud voice ex- 
claimed, 'Jimmy, my man, have you heard the 
latest news, that I'm after breaking to you!" 
'And what sort of news? good, bad or indifferent, 
my good man?' was Jimmy's rejoinder. 'Well, 
Jimmy,' came the doleful reply, 'it may be good 
news for some, but it's mighty discouraging to the 
old schoolmasters — 'tis for a fact. It's the Legis- 
lature that's passed the free school bill, and it's the 



104 Nicholas Comenius. 

little Dutch Governor that's inscribed his signature 
to the infernal State System, sure as you're a living 
master!' was Simon's quick rejoinder, as he landed 
upon the high seat of the old coach. 

"Little thought I at the time," reflected the old 
father, "of the effect the act thus announced was 
ultimately to have on hundreds of old school- 
masters throughout the Commonwealth. But times 
have changed, and for the better I hope." 

For the early morning hours of this charming 
Thanksgiving brought no despondency to Nicholas. 
To one of his genial nature, tne crisp morning 
atmosphere was a tonic, giving renewed vigor to 
his rugged manhood. To this well known thor- 
oughfare Nicholas was no stranger, as many a lone 
monarch of the forest, still standing in all its 
primitive glory, stood ready to testify. Here and 
there, before some familiar landmark, his trusty 
mare would halt, sniffing the air, before Nicholas 
could recover from the reverie into which he had 
fallen. At length, suddenly looking up and catch- 
ing a glimpse of the object which had last attracted 
his faithful roadster's attention, he leaned forward, 
patted her gently on the mane and exclaimed: 

"Taking a view of the old school-house and 
thinking of old Tommy, the master, whom you 
haven't seen for more than twenty years, eh, my 
knowing critter? Ah, you've a memory, my 
worthy steed, that discounts the old man's two to 
one; and if you were as well gifted in the power of 



The Smith-Shop. 105 

language as you are in remembering all the old 
school-houses in Blackwell county, you could give 
the young chaps over at the institute a lesson that 
they've never dreamed of. 

"Yes, yes, Nell, you've good reason to remem- 
ber Old Blind Tom, for many an extra meal he 
turned into your crib on the sly ! But don't you 
know, pet, that the old schoolmaster has long 
since passed over the river of time, to keep com- 
pany with Cornelius, and the hundreds of others 
who were as prompt in providing for the wants of 
Nicholas and the mare as they were in caring for 
the young lads of the school ? Come, come, 
straighten up, stop your whinnying, and hurry 
along; no use shedding tears over Old Blind Tom, 
who's dead and gone these many years. 

"But there's no use trying to forget him, 
either," sighed Nicholas, as his eyes took in a 
small enclosure by the wayside, surrounded by a 
square stone wall and a cluster of cedars. " There 
we laid him long years ago, and over there beside 
the old smith-shop stands the low thatched cottage 
with the great oak towering over it, as young and 
green as on the day we laid the old schoolmaster 
to rest under the cedar in this little family burying 
ground. Yes it seems but yesterday, but 'twas 
many years ago that Comenius was summoned to 
the bedside of Old Blind Tom, as. the wild lads 
around the district school named him in later 
years. 'Twas a sad scene and well nigh forgotten, 



106 Nicholas Comenius. 

but Nell, the companion of my earlier days, lias 
brought it all back again." As these sad recollec- 
tions throbbed through the mind of Comenius, he 
was startled by a voice that came from the rickety 
smith-shop. 

" Lost your way, stranger, or perhaps only a 
shoe from the old mare ? About the loss of your 
way, I'm not so certain; but that there's a missing- 
shoe from the right front foot of the old nag, I am 
as sure as that it's Thanksgiving morning, and a 
mighty fine one at that. You see, my friend, a 
traveler may occasionally lose his way or his wits, 
or perchance forget to pay old Stephen Smithers 
his honest dues; but it will never do for a horse to 
lose a shoe, with Tommy, the blacksmith, doing- 
business at the old stand." 

"Whoa, Nell," cried Nicholas, as he drew the 
reins on his trusty mare. Then casting his eyes in 
the direction from which the sound came, he be- 
held above the door the sign, "Tom, the Smith;" 
and leaning against a post, a heavy-set individual 
with a happy smile upon his good-natured counte- 
nance. 

"Ride the old critter in under the roof of the 
old shop, my good man, and I will make an ex- 
amination in short order; for it'll hardly do to 
openly violate the law, when the Governor's Proc- 
lamation calls for a strict observance of Thanks- 
giving by every loyal son of the Commonwealth." 

It took but a moment to remove the fractured 



The Smith-Shop. 



107 



parts of the old shoe, and as the jolly smith forged 
away at the new one to the sound of the anvil's 
ring, he merrily sang: "The Life of a Smith is 
the Life for Me." As Nicholas stood by and ob- 
served ill astonishment the strength of his large 




and sinewy hands and the muscles of his brawny 
arms, coupled with a happy smile and a pleasant 
disposition, he remarked: "Truly a happy life 
you're leading, my good man !" 



io8 Nicholas Comenius. 

"Oh, yes," came the good-natured reply, "it's 
the master who shapes the mind, and the smith 
who shapes the iron ; the only difference being the 
kind of material at their disposal. You see," he 
musingly said, as he forged away, giving the shoe 
a delicate touch here and there, and then holding 
it first in one direction and then in another before 
his trained eye, "it was always a question with 
grandfather, or 'Old Blind Tom,' as the boys 
around the district school used to call him, 
whether his little namesake should be a school- 
master or a blacksmith. It was old Tommy, who 
kept school in the little stone house when Nicholas 
Comenius was in command of the school affairs of 
the county, that settled young Tom's fate ; and it 
all came about in a way that some people call 
superstitious. It was on the day before his last 
visit to the school, from which he never returned 
alive, that he took me on his knee out on the old 
porch, as was his custom, keeping time with his 
frail staff to the music of the birds over in the 
flowery meadow by the running brook. 'Tom,' 
said he (for he always called me Tom), 'it's the 
master who shapes the mind, and the smith who 
shapes the iron. It takes a heavy stroke and a 
strong arm at times, Tom, to wield the rod as well 
as the sledge ; but there's this difference, Tom, my 
lad — the strokes that fall from the brawny arm of 
the smith are lost with the ring of the anvil, but 
those that fall from the master's arm, necessary at 



Old Blind Tom. 109 

times to shape aright the young mind, are apt after 
long years to come knocking at the silent chamber 
of the master's heart. And oh, Tom, my lad, they 
carry a weight heavier than the heaviest sledge 
ever wielded by the strong arm of the village 
smith.' 

" But the saddest part of my story is yet to be 
told, and there's no better time to tell it than this 
bright Thanksgiving morning," continued young 
Tom, as he leaned his heavy form against the 
patient mare, driving nail after nail with the un- 
erring aim of a trained workman. " It was on the 
day following the one that decided the fate of 
young Tom, as I well remember. There, sur- 
rounded by a half dozen grandchildren and Nicho- 
las Comenius, the beloved apostle of the free school 
system, sat old Tommy, blind and tottering, as the 
little ones gathered around him not knowing what 
to do or say. 

"Ah, my old friend, is it the crisp morning air 
or the effect of my story that causes the tears to 
flow?" said Tom, as he turned and glanced at his 
visitor. "It's had the same effect on Tommy the 
smith, many, many times as I've thought it over; 
but then the sound of the anvil always drove it 
away, as it has many other strange thoughts that 
came creeping over Tommy in the little smith-shop 
during the long winter days. 

"It is true I was only a lad at the time, but I 
well remember when Old Blind Tom turned to 



1 1 o Nicholas Comenius. 

Nicholas and toil chin gly said : ' Take me once 
more, my old friend, to the district school, where 
old associations yet linger, and thence to the little 
burying ground, and there let the discarded school- 
master rest in peace.' In vain did those around 
him endeavor to dispel the strange fancy that 
had so suddenly taken possession of his mind, but 
his only reply was, 'Take me once more to the 
old school-house.' The saddest moment of all 
came after every other effort had failed to restore 
the old father to consciousness. It was then that 
sister Elsie, his bine-eyed darling, whose golden 
ringlets he had so often caressed, stepped forward 
and placing her delicate arms gently around his 
neck, in a soft child-like voice whispered : ' Why, 
grandpa, have you forgotten your own little grand- 
daughter Elsie? Touch my hair, grandpa, and 
press your cold face to mine. Ah, you know Elsie, 
do you not, grandpa?' But with a wave of the 
hand he motioned her aside." 

For a moment a death-like stillness prevaded the 
old smith shop. Then there came a voice in low 
and measured tones, not unlike the soft voice of 
Old Blind Tom. It was the voice of the stranger 
who stood by the side of young Tom, the smith. 
"And have you, Tommy, forgotten Nicholas 
Comenius?" 

" Nicholas — Nicholas ! " And with these words 
the stalwart frame of the young smith swayed to 
aud fro. "Nicholas Comenius, the bosom friend 



Old Blind Tom. 1 1 1 

of Old Blind Tom !" And with these words he 
turned and fell upon the old man's neck and wept. 

" Ah, Tom, many, many times have I recalled 
this incident in my lonely pilgrimages through 
Blackwell county," said Nicholas, as they sat side 
by side on a low trestle — Nicholas, the tall, vener- 
able educator; Tom, the young blacksmith, with 
muscles and sinews of iron. "Little thought I, 
Tommy, my boy, as long years ago I sat beside Old 
Blind Tom on that momentous occasion, that years 
later I should meet this same lad, now a full grown 
man. But 'tis only one of the many sad reminis- 
cences that Nelly, my mare, occasionally awakens 
within me as I go strolling along the king's high- 
way. 

"Yes, Tommy, I well remember the day when 
Old Blind Tom passed away to his rest. It was 
late in the day, Tommy, one' of those perfect 
October days that always brought sweet conso- 
lation to the old master's heart, when tender 
hands gently raised the dying veteran from his 
lowly couch, made their way through the narrow 
open doorway, thence to the district school, where 
they tenderly placed him in the old arm-chair. 
Not a sound could be heard, Tom, but the neigh- 
ing of Nelly, who stood by the road-side, appar- 
ently conscious of all that was taking place within. 
There in the old chair he sat for a moment, oblivi- 
ous of those who stood tearfully by his side. Then 
Standing erect as in the strength of his earlier 



[ 12 



Nicholas Comenius. 



manhood, he turned his head from side to side and 
gave the word of command: 'Give the bell rope a 
good jerk, Ned, my trusty standby. ' And as the 
old familiar sound of years gone by broke upon his 
ear, he turned, and with a grim smile playing 
upon his pallid features, exclaimed: 'Now I know 
I am once more the master of the old school, for I 
hear the sound of the bell in the belfrv above.' 




BLIND TOM'S SCHOOI, HOUSE. 



Oh, Tom, it was I, Nicholas Comenius, that held 
you in my arms as Old Blind Tom, the venerated 
schoolmaster, fell back in the old arm-chair and 
peacefully died, under tlie'firm belief that he was 
still the master of the district school. We shall 



Old Blind Tom. 113 

never hear the bell again, Tommy; I passed the old 
school to-day, and the belfry is gone, like the old 
master." 

Then Nicholas whispered a few cheering words 
to Tommy the smith, jumped astride of Nell, and 
hurried onward toward the metropolis of Blackwell 
county. 



CHAPTER IX. 

SIMON, THE DRIVER OF PACKET LINE MAIE COACH 
NO. IO. 

As Comenius, now so full of ardent devotion to 
the scenes and recollections of his boyhood days — 
a devotion that clings to the soul of the aged 
patriarch like the ivy to the massive oak — con- 
tinued his early morning's journey along the king's 
highway, his thoughts instinctively reverted to that 
historic day, sixty years before, when Simon, driver 
of Packet Line Mail Coach No. 10, drove his gal- 
lant steeds six in hand into the very heart of Emden 
town. There may seem little of more than passing 
interest, dear reader, in this announcement; but 
were a messenger direct from the halls of legisla- 
tion to convey to a modern teachers' convention 
the information of the repeal of the common school 
law, the tumult could scarcely equal that which 
fell with such crushing force on the constituency 
of Emden when Simon landed his six-in-hand at 
the very door of the little red sandstone school- 
house. Swinging his long raw-hide in a graceful 
circle through the air, and uttering an unearthly 
yell between the trumpet blasts that had already 
114 



Simon the Driver. 1 1 5 

startled the rural population from their peaceful 
surroundings, in thundering tones came the news 
that, within a brief period thereafter, was to prove 
such a disturbing factor to many a household in 
Blackwell county. 

"It is true, I was but a lad," mused Nicholas, 
as he gave Nell an extra spur, "when Simon drove 
up to the school-house door, threw the whole school 
into commotion, and set the master's head to buzz- 
ing like an old-fashioned spinning wheel ; but I've 
never forgotten the most trusty driver that ever 
sent a mail coach flying over the king's highway at 
the rate of twenty miles an hour. Illiterate as he 
was from an educational standpoint, Simon was 
none the less an educator worthy of more than 
passing notice ; and bore the same relation to the 
public, as a dispenser of general information, that 
Jimmy bore to the village school. In stature and 
in courage, he was as far above the average coach- 
man of his day as in trustworthiness and general 
intelligence. His long, dull-bronze hair, which 
hung in strands over his broad shoulders, and his 
small round hazel eyes, which shone at times like 
miniature stars, gave to his round, red face an ex- 
pression that once seen was ever to be remembered. 
Indeed, it was firmly believed by many of the 
gentry who sat behind this knight of the road on 
more than one of his lonely pilgrimages, that 
through his wide receding nostrils he could scent 
coming danger for miles distant. But if -nature 



1 1 6 Nicholas Comenius. 

favored Simon in this particular above others of his 
class, he was even more generously blessed with a 
sonorous, well-rounded voice, and an atmospheric 
pressure behind it that in times of extreme danger 
sent a thrill of terror through his trumpet, and then 
'one blast upon his bugle horn was worth a thou- 
sand men.' Many indeed were the mishaps that 
had befallen more than one of the many trusty 
coachmen of the government service in passing 
over that dangerous stretch of road known as the 
' Round Up ;' but while Simon had his share of ex- 
periences at the hands of numerous bands of high- 
waymen, he never failed to deliver his precious 
freight in safety at their point of destination. 

"But above all, to the sound of Simon's bugle, 
on momentous occasions, there was attached a 
superstitious significance that no convincing proof 
to the contrary could dispel. When the melodious 
tones of his horn fell like the strains of an seolian 
harp on the ears of the good housewives, as he 
swept onward along the roadway, it was but a 
gentle reminder that peace and good-will reigned 
supreme over the inhabitants of Blackwell county. 
But when a long series of those unearthly blasts, 
to which the screechings of a locomotive whistle in 
moments of greatest danger bear no comparison, 
fell upon the ears of the rural population in the 
quietude of their home life, it was positive evidence 
that Simon had come into possession of news that 
was to affect, in some way, their cherished rights. 



Simon the Driver. 1 1 7 

" As the intelligent yeomanry of Blackwell 
county, in this enlightened age, pin their faith 
largely to the newspaper and the magazine, to the 
telegraph, the telephone and the weather bureau, 
so their worthy ancestors of two generations ago 
reposed even greater confidence in the bugle blasts 
of Simon, driver of Packet Line Mail Coach No. 
10. On this occasion Simon, after leaving the 
village school, yanked his six in hand up to the 
very door of the rickety post-office building, fol- 
lowed by Jimmy McCune, the master, and the lads 
of the school. A moment later the old stage-coach 
was surrounded by a mass of interested spectators, 
while at the head of his gallant steeds stood Simon, 
bugle in hand. That this trusty government offi- 
cial was possessed of information of a most startling 
nature, none could doubt. Many openly asserted 
their belief that Simon was ready to proclaim the 
final dissolution of the world, in the coming of 
which there was a widespread belief on the part of 
the old parson's followers ; others were simply 
dumfounded, not knowing how to account for the 
old coachman's performances. 

" It was not, however, until Squire Benton 
elbowed his way through the crowd and stood face 
to face with Simon, that the alarming news, con- 
veyed to Jimmy the master a moment before, was 
folly confirmed. Mounting the platform of the old 
coach and breaking the seal of an official document 
from the Secretary of State, he read aloud : 



1 1 8 Nicholas Comenius. 

" 'Thomas Benton, Esq., 

" 'Take notice, and convey the information to the constitxi- 
ents of Emdeii district, that the Act creating the Common 
School System has become the law of this Commonwealth.' 

" A change of steeds ; the replacing of the old 
mail-pouch under the seat ; a good-by salute that 
'set the wild echoes flying ;' and with reins well in 
hand, Simon disappeared, leaving the parson and 
the squire in earnest communion with Jimmy the 
master, on whose features was depicted that deep 
distress which eventually was to overtake every old 
schoolmaster in the Commonwealth." 

This, clear, reader, is but one of the many remi- 
niscences of other days that the thoughts of Old 
Blind Tom had suggested to the mind of Nicholas, 
in his last half hour's journey toward the county 
seat. 

" Ah Nell, a few more paces and we shall be feast- 
ing on the best that the hospitality of the old town 
can afford," was his consoling remark, as his eyes 
took in the tall spires for which the metropolis of 
Blackwell county has ever been famous. As the 
chimes of the distant church bells broke upon his 
ear and disturbed the reverie into which he had 
fallen, his attention was attracted to a dilapidated 
structure that once upon a time was the most pre- 
tentious and noted hostelry along this section of the 
king's highway. This now antiquated and weather- 
beaten inn might easily have been overlooked, but 
for the conspicuous sign-post that stood promi- 



Simon the Driver. 1 1 9 

nently by the road-side, on the large round swing- 
ing sign of which was to be seen the faded inscrip- 
tion, "The Trumpet," under a picture of that 
instrument. 

" Ah, Nelly, you seem to remember this rough- 
hewn ,water trough," muttered Comenius, as his 
thirsty nag drew up in front of the running pump, 
famous in days gone by for its clear, sparkling 
draughts that quenched the thirst of man and 
beast. As he cast his eyes down into the flowing 
stream that ran clear and bright before him. 
thoughts of Simon' crowded upon his mind. What 
had riveted the attention of Nicholas to this placid 
pool of water, supplied by the running brook that 
gurgled down the hillside? On the old sign-board 
had he not beheld only a moment before an exact 
counterpart of Simon's trumpet? He understood 
its meaning, knew the old inn had adopted this 
emblem many long years before in honor of Simon; 
but there, reflected from the mirror-like surface, 
was the very picture of the old mail coach ! What 
could it mean ? Was it only a reflection from his 
own mind? He rubbed his eyes in despair, ad- 
justed his spectacles, but there was the very image 
of the old Tally-Ho coach. The felloes had fallen 
from the tires ; the spokes had become tainted 
with rust and showed signs of decay ; but here was 
still the inscription, reflected in the sun's early 
morning rays : " Packet Line Mail Coach No. 10." 

" You seem to recognize the old stage, my early 



Simon the Driver. i 2 1 

visitor," came a voice as a stout-set, elderly person 
stepped from the rear. "And maybe you've sat 
behind the old driver on more than. one of his trips, 
as he went flying over the king's highway at a rate 
that has never been equaled. He was a record- 
breaker, was Simon, and up to the last trip he ever 
made, held the post of honor in the government 
service. You, see, stranger, I was only a lad when 
Simon drove his steeds up to the old barn door, 
side-tracked the rickety concern, and with tears in 
his eyes sang me a song that I've never forgotten. 
It wasn't much of a song, my old friend, and it 
didn't make much impression on my young mind 
then ; but since the old inn has gone to ruin for 
want of custom, and the pike to seed for want of 
traffic, I've found more truth than fiction in the old 
song. You see, it was one of Simon's own compo- 
sitions, and if you're not too much in a hurry I'll 
sing you a verse or two to revive old recollections 
as you continue your journey toward the county 
seat." And so, forgetful of the condition of mind 
into which Comenius had fallen by the reflection 
of the old coach in the sparkling water before him, 
the good-natured landlord sang aloud : 

"You'll hear no more the clanking hoof, 
And the stage-coach rattling by ; 
For the steam-king rules the traveled world, 
And the pike is left to die. 

"The grass grows over the flinty path, 
And the bright-eyed daisies steal 



122 Nicholas Comenius. 

Where Simon's stage horse, day by day, 
Ivifted his iron heel. 

"No more you'll hear the cracking whip, 
Or the blast of the trumpet's sound; 
For ah! the water drives us on, 
And an iron horse is found ! 

"The coach stands rusting in the yard, 
And the horse has sought the plow; 
They've spanned the world with an iron rail, 
And the steam-king rules us now." 

"There's more of the old song, my friend, but 
whenever I get to singing it, there's such a heavy 
feeling comes over me that it sets my head swim- 
ming and drives all the poetry out of it," was the 
doleful comment, as he wiped away a big tear. 

"Ah," sighed Nicholas, as he kept his eyes 
riveted on the fast-receding shadow as it flickered in 
the sun's bright rays, "it's many long years since 
Simon paid the debt of nature and was laid away 
in some lone burying-ground." 

"Why bless yon, no, not if the reports that every 
now and then reach the old inn be true, he isn't," 
came the quick response, as the old innkeeper 
stepped up and extended his hand to Comenius. 
"Dead he may be, but if so his spirit and the echo 
of his bugle-horn are still hovering around among 
the defiles of Shaky Mountain, where he was last 
seen only a short time ago. It may be only a 
superstition, my wise old friend, that's taken pos- 
session of the minds of some ; but it was only yester- 



Simon the Driver. i 2 3 

day that old Kusebius came flying up to this very 
watering-trough all frustrated, declaring on his 
word of honor ' The world's coming to an end, to- 
morrow, Thanksgiving, as sure as gospel preach- 
ing.' Said he, 'There were three blasts of Simon's 
trumpet in quick succession, and as three blasts 
of Simon's horn are equal to one from the trumpet 
of old Gabriel, it's time for every old sinner to be 
making preparation for the upward journey !' You 
see he was only half in earnest until his eyes 
caught on to the shadow of the old coach deep 
down in the shining pool, when he fell over on his 
old nag's mane in a dead faint. Thinking that 
possibly he'd gone off for good, I gathered him up 
and carried him over beside the bar, where a little 
spirits out of Simon's old decanter soon brought 
him to his senses." 

At the conclusion of this little episode, the burly 
innkeeper burst into a hearty laugh. Then look- 
ing straight into the face of Comenius, he smilingly 
added : " You see, my old friend, that of the hun- 
dreds who draw lip in front of the running pump, 
there's scarcely one who ever thinks of looking up 
yonder on the old platform. When they see the 
reflection in the pool, and hear the gurgling sound 
of the water running through the pipe, it's ten to 
one they go away believing that the spirit of Simon 
is still hovering around the old stage coach." 

But to this plausible narrative, concocted by the 
jolly landlord to perpetuate the memory of Simon 



124 Nicholas Comenius. 

and to preserve the reputation of the old hostelry, 
Nicholas gave little heed. He well understood the 
philosophy that had produced this optical illusion, 
yet to satisfy his curiosity as well as his failing- 
eyesight, he dismounted, ascended the frail stair- 
way, and a moment later stood face to face with 
the old time-saver he had known so many years 
before. What a strange combination of circum- 
stances had suddenly brought him into communion 
with this memento of other days ! But what to 
the mind of Nicholas had seemed like an appari- 
tion a moment before was now a reality ; for there 
on the side of the time-worn body of the coach was 
the inscription corresponding with the reflection he 
had seen deep down in the shining pool : " Packet 
Line Mail Coach No. 10." And strange as it may 
seem, there on its side was the small round inden- 
denture made fifty years before by a well directed 
shot. He inserted his long slender finger, and 
vividly recalled how one stormy night a bullet 
had whizzed by his own head, while Simon was 
driving his spanking team of six in hand along 
that dangerous tract of woodland known as the 
"Round Up." 

As Nicholas stood thus recalling the many ex- 
periences of his long and eventful life, he was 
startled by the sweet strains of a trumpet. For a 
moment he stood spellbound, listening to what 
seemed like the dying echoes of some far-off bugle- 
horn. But the next instant there came a soul- 



Simon the Driver. 125 

thrilling blast that almost shook the platform 
beneath his feet. Paralyzed by the peculiar quality 
of the intonation and by a musical accentuation 
which had never been equaled since Simon's day, 
Comenius stood tottering on the frail support. 
Then, as the notes ceased to vibrate, he hurried 
down the narrow steps to behold an object from 
which for a moment he instinctively recoiled. 
There in the bright sunlight before him were the 
now shriveled features, out of which shone the 
same round hazel eyes — eyes once seen never to be 
forgotten. And there over his now shrunken 
shoulders still hung his long strands of dull-bronze 
hair. The tall, slender form, that once towered a 
head above all his competitors, was now bent and 
haggard. But there before his doubting eyes stood 
the very image of Simon, with trumpet in hand. 
As Nicholas trembling approached this figure that 
seemed more like an apparition than a human 
being, he raised the trumpet to his lips for a second 
time and sent forth such a blast as shook the very 
foundation walls of the old inn. And as the strain 
fell to a whisper, with a smile of recognition upon 
his disturbed features and without uttering a word, 
Simon reeled, fell back into the arms of Comenius 
and expired. But though the bugle of Simon, 
driver of Packet Line Mail Coach No. 10, hangs 
still in the old hostelry, the echoes of his last bugle- 
blast are said still to be heard reverberating over 
the hillsides and valleys of Blackwell county. 



CHAPTER X. 

THE YOUNG SUPERINTENDENT. 

When Nicholas reached the main thoroughfare, 
nsar by which stood the temple of justice, his at- 
tention was attracted by a moving mass of young 
men and women, all wending their way toward the 
objective point, the court room, for the time had 
nearly arrived for the exercises to begin. In the 
midst of a small circle of teachers stood the young 
Superintendent, anxiously awaiting the arrival of 
the principal lecturer of the day. 

"Ah, here he comes, with the pockets of his 
great-coat crammed with manuscripts bearing on 
every phase of the olden-time dispensation," humor- 
ously suggested one of the committee, as he caught 
sight of an old man jogging along head and should- 
ers above the average backwoodsman. 

"Come, boys, no time for jesting," replied the 
Superintendent, whose eyes were turned in the di- 
rection of the station from which the speaker of 
the day was momentarily expected. 

" He bears a striking resemblance to Nicholas 
Comenius, the first County Superintendent of 
Blackwell county," chimed in a rather prepossess- 
126 



The Young Superintendent '. 1 2 7 

ing individual of more than the average intelli- 
gence. 

"Acquainted with the old gentleman?" inquired 
another bystander. 

"Nicholas Comenius?" replied the committee- 
man addressed, with a look of half-suppressed con- 
tempt, " No, not exactly acquainted with the old 
pedagogue, although I have frequently heard his 
name mentioned," and the speaker turned on his 
heel and glanced at the venerable stranger. 

" Would it not be in keeping with the early his- 
tory of the common school system to give these 
old defenders of the cause a chance to be heard 
before the institute, and to keep alive the memory 
of their services in the school libraries of the state?" 
continued the gentleman who had recognized 
Comenius, directing his remarks to the Superin- 
tendent. 

"The truth is," was the curt rejoinder, "there 
are so many live issues demanding the attention of 
our young teachers, that any reference to these old- 
timers must of necessity be brief and to the point 
Indeed, an effort has frequently been made by our 
more experienced educators to commemorate the 
services of several of these early leaders, but it is a 
very difficult matter to awaken much enthusiasm. 
You see," he continued, somewhat annoyed by the 
necessity of explanation, " there isn't one teacher 
out of a score of our Normal School graduates, who 
will remain in the profession longer than is abso- 



1 28 Nicholas Comenius. 

lutely necessary to fit him for some other profes- 
sional calling." 

"They wouldn't subscribe, then, for a hand- 
somely illustrated volume on Nicholas Comenius, 
at a reasonable price?" was smilingly suggested. 

"No; while the great majority of our teachers 
are very enthusiastic, and very attentive at the 
institute, they are not much given to reading of a 
miscellaneous character. There are so many sub- 
jects, you see, in the school curriculum, that few 
of our teachers can find time to read the daily 
newspapers or the leading magazines." 

" So much in the school curriculum that teachers 
cannot find time to read newspapers and maga- 
zines ! What a commentary on the free school 
system in Blackwell county ! How then, Mr. 
Superintendent," he asked, "do you account for 
your institute being among the foremost in the 
State for attendance, and the interest taken by the 
public?" 

"That is easily accounted for," he replied. "In 
the first place, if the Superintendent of any county 
is wide awake and enthusiastic, he'll find many 
important phases of education, new and improved 
methods, outside of the newspapers and magazines, 
for the instruction of the young. I am ever on the 
lookout for what are recognized in certain circles 
as professional experts ; and as soon as one is 
brought to my notice, through the journals or 
Literary Bureau, I secure his services if possible ; 



The Young Superintendent. 1 29 

and the greater his notoriety, the higher his price, 
the greater the guarantee for the highest literary 
attainments. You see, we must keep abreast of 
the age ; and in order to do so, we must employ 
only the best and the newest to be had in the 
domain of education. The moss-backs and intel- 
lectual fossils of years ago would only be a dead 
weight to the institute work ; and for that reason I 
have seldom recalled an instructor who has once 
appeared before the institute. The minds of the 
teachers, especially the older ones, need some 
friction and polish ; and new instructors from a 
distance are apt to fill the bill better than those 
who have a personal acquaintance with the needs 
of the teachers. Many instructors deal out good 
solid information, but it is often from the old rack, 
and hence is not the kind of knowledge expected 
at teachers' institutes. We must have something 
electrical, bewildering, so as to make a profound 
impression on the minds of all present — directors 
as well as teachers. An aurora borealis exhibition, 
you see, is highly attractive, and has a two-fold 
use ; it raises the instructor to a lofty niche in the 
estimation of the teacher, and disabuses the minds 
of the public school teachers as to their own effi- 
ciency. It also creates a habit of close attention 
and takes away the habit of inquiry. By this I 
mean, the teachers do not feel warranted in asking 
questions ; in fact, they are for the time over- 
whelmed by the irresistible way in which the 

9 



i 30 Nicholas Comenius. 

modern educator presents his views. There are 
always some teachers of independent thought and 
speech, who if they are not overawed by the 
superior and startling manner of the speaker, are 
apt to quibble and raise objections, and so bring 
chaos into the established order of things, and 
break up the regularity so necessary to a well- 
conducted teachers' institute. The public of 
Blackwell county assume that their teachers, while 
institute is in session, are getting the best intel- 
lectual diet to be had ; in fact, that the institute is 
an ideal mental feast, abounding in choice viands, 
and served with that pedagogic skill characteristic 
of master minds. This is the secret of a successful 
institute, and I hope it answers fully the question 
you put to me." 

" Quite to the point — but supposing a teacher 
does not comprehend a subject as presented?" sug- 
gested the stranger. 

"It is the teacher's business to comprehend; and 
besides, no teacher claiming familiarity with the 
theory and practice of teaching would venture to 
expose his ignorance. Every teacher knows that 
the eyes of the institute would be upon him, and 
that likely he would be made the butt of unlimited 
jest and ridicule. It is practically understood by 
teachers that they are to take notes of the subject 
matter presented, and not interpose any questions, 
apt or otherwise. In other words, the institute is 
not intended to furnish brain or brain material, but 



The Young Superintendent. 131 

rather to serve as a grindstone, to point and sharpen 
the information which the teachers bring with 
them." 

"A most excellent idea," was the reply, after a 
moment's hesitation, "and no doubt it has the 
effect desired. Of course the majority of the teach- 
ers of your institute are young and bright, and not 
like elderly folks, slow to catch on. When attend- 
ing one of the recent sessions I saw but few gray 
heads, and I wondered what becomes of the teachers 
when they are advanced in years." 

u Teachers nowadays seldom remain in the pro- 
fession long enough to get gray hairs," was the 
Superintendent's apt rejoinder. " The young men 
are aspiring to other and more lucrative callings, 
and use the school-room only as a stepping-stone to 
something better. And the girl teachers are ever 
on the lookout for desirable matrimonial engage- 
ments, hence they do not play pedagogue longer 
than they must. Besides, I do not particularly 
favor old teachers, because they are apt to get the 
intellectual dry-rot, and you see there is no remedy 
for that disease. Give me young, ardent, enthu- 
siastic teachers, full of fire and fervor, and I can 
organize an army that will prove invincible. The 
young people are more apt to excel in all the later 
theories, and are more perceptive and receptive." 

" But one more suggestion, Mr. Superintendent — 
Do you not find that the experienced teacher gives 
better satisfaction, and produces better results? 



j 32 Nicholas Comenms. 

And is it not true that public sentiment is averse 
to having the schools experimented upon by mere 
novices, who use the school-room simply as a means 
to an end?" 

u You see," was the somewhat impatient reply, 
with a glance at his time-piece, "both the results 
and the satisfaction with the teachers' work are 
largely determined by the Superintendent. But 
stranger," said he, turning to depart, "as this is a 
delicate question, I hope you will excuse further 
reference to it." 

" You have certainly enlightened me on the 
secret of your success, Mr. Superintendent, and I 
feel indebted to you for the freedom with which 
you have stated the case." And with a wave of the 
hand the stranger disappeared among the multitude 
of young professional teachers. 

But, dear reader, be not dismayed at what may 
seem like a reflection upon the modern teachers' 
institute, or the earnest, conscientious Superinten- 
dent. Far be it from the writer to unduly reflect 
upon any such faithful officer, or the great body of 
the teachers directly entrusted to his charge. If 
abuses have crept into the system ; if the teacher's 
institute has become, in many instances, the mod- 
ern Superintendent's hobby ; if the system itself 
has failed in that higher order of development es- 
sentially necessary to fit the average boy for the 
responsible duties of every-day business ; if, as 
must be evident to all who are not blinded to the 



The Young Superinte?ident. 133 

fact, the common schools were not conceived for 
the ostensible object of educating the masses for 
one single purpose, and that the teacher's profes- 
sion ; then it behooves the master minds of the pro- 
fession to ask themselves the question, "What 
shall we do to be saved?" Shall we call a halt in 
the onward rush for additional legislation, that is 
neither demanded by public sentiment on the one 
hand nor the absolute wants of the schools on the 
other? 

But this clamoring for additional legislation rests 
not alone with the body of professional teachers. 
At the recent organization of a State Directors' 
convention, this remarkable statement was openly 
set forth by one high in authority : " The Legisla- 
ture," said he, " advances and educates public sen- 
timent ; the latter is secondary and must follow." 
And in the discussion that followed, another, prom- 
inent in the department of state, gloried in the fact 
that when he was a member of the lower House he 
had voted in direct opposition to the prevailing 
sentiment of his constituency on an important 
school measure. And still another boldly advanced 
the doctrine that after he had been elected director, 
he had felt it to be his bounden duty to ignore 
public sentiment, and vote in accordance with his 
own individual judgment on all questions pertain- 
ing to the schools of his district. "Give us a sys- 
tem," cries one, " which in order and method is a 
model of perfection, and as perfectly adjusted in all 



134 Nicholas Co7nenins. 

its parts as the phonograph ;" while another 
clamors for the Legislature to assume entire con- 
trol of the machinery, with the hope that the tax- 
payer may eventually rest happy under the delu- 
sion that he has been relieved from all local taxa- 
tion for school purposes. But may not the old 
adage, "What is everybody's business is nobody's 
business," then be exemplified in the management 
of the schools? Directors will, in a manner, be 
elected as agents of the State, to apportion the 
money to the wants of the schools, rather than as 
custodians of the best interest of the district. Who 
will particularly care for the schools, when public 
sentiment shall have become dead, and the school 
system an absolute part of the machinery of the 
State, and under direct State control? And what 
will become of the tax-payer's interest in the 
schools, when lie shall have been relieved of all 
local taxation? 

"Has the annual appropriation of over five and 
one-half million dollars, actually strengthened the 
system ? comes the pertinent question — in a whisper 
only. Has. the percentage of better qualified 
teachers been increased ? Has the school term, 
excepting in a few instances, been lengthened? 
Have the salaries been materially increased? Has 
it broadened and deepened public sentiment? On 
the other hand, has it not engendered a disposition 
toward indifference on the part of the School 
Boards, as well as on the part of the tax-payer? 



The Young Superintendent. 135 

Perhaps years hence, when the teacher's calling- 
shall have become a profession — for at the present 
day it is merely a stepping-stone to some other 
more remunerative avocation — when the teacher 
shall receive adequate pay ; when the most intelli- 
gent and best equipped teachers shall be found in 
the primary department of city and borough 
schools ; when the graduate of the Normal school 
shall become a professional teacher, instead of a 
member of some other profession ; when a system 
of schools for the rural districts shall not have for 
its sole object and purpose the training of boys and 
girls for the industrial centres of population — 
when all these and many other improvements in 
the right direction shall have been made, then 
perhaps some reminiscent grandfather may tell the 
story of the present system from the standpoint of 
the future, as Nicholas Comenius proposes to judge 
the present from the standpoint of the pas-t 



CHAPTER XL 

AN INSTRUCTOR'S VIEW OF INSTITUTE). 

The passing of an old man on horseback through 
one of the principal streets of the metropolis in the 
early morning, being a frequent occurrence, little 
heed was given to the mention of the name Nicho- 
las Comenins. There were other more weighty 
thoughts occupying the minds of the committee of 
arrangements, whom the Superintendent had dis- 
patched to the station to await the arrival of the 
fast express, thirty minutes behind schedule time, 
from aboard of which stepped a most important 
personage. 

" Allow me, Professor, to welcome you back to 
the metropolis of Blackwell county, and to extend 
my personal congratulations, as a slight manifesta- 
tion of my hearty approval of the able manner in 
which you enlivened the proceedings of the insti- 
tute during your short stay with us a year ago. 
Your powers of mimicry and your impersonations 
of ' Ye old-time Schoolmaster ' seemed to keep the 
audience in a constant state of hilarity and good 
humor. In fact, Professor, the dullness of the pro- 
ceedings during the past three days has only 
136 



An Instructor s View. 1 3 7 

tended to sharpen the appetite of the rank and file 
of our teachers for a grand literary treat at your 
hands. ' ' These complimentary remarks came from 
the spokesman of the committee, and were ad- 
dressed to the star lecturer of the occasion, a 
middle-aged gentleman of culture, grace and re- 
finement. 

"Allow me in return to thank you, my young 
friends, for the compliment paid me," came the 
felicitous recognition, as he gave each a hearty 
shake of the hand. "Then you were entertained, 
and I hope instructed at the same time," continued 
he, in his affable manner. 

"Indeed, Professor, we were more than enter- 
tained, we were simply captivated by the power of 
your eloquence; and I feel at this very moment," 
smilingly continued the spokesman, "as though 
I were a thousand miles removed from the drudg- 
ery of the school-room. Why, under the in- 
fluence of your inspiration, the humdrum of school 
life vanished like a dream ! It makes one feel that 
there are many phases of our modern school life 
never dreamed of by the pedantic old-time school- 
masters of a generation ago." 

"Yes, yes, my young friends," came the sug- 
gestive reply; "but what to teach and now to 
teach, thoroughly and well, in the common Schools 
of the land, are problems that still await definite 
solution. We are drifting so rapidly from one ex- 
treme to another, or rather skimming over the sur- 



t 38 Nicholas Comenins. 

face, that the leading educators of the country 
stand appalled at the outlook. That this feeling- 
is prevalent throughout every State in the Union 
is made manifest at every county and city superin- 
tendents' convention, state and national teachers' 
association, the country over. There no longer 
seems to be any common ground upon which any 
two minds can fully agree. Indeed, the system 
still seems to be in a state of transition, only to 
become more and more involved by yearly addi- 
tions to the school curriculum. On this line, the 
processes of addition and multiplication seem to 
dominate in the educational world. The inventive 
faculty of the modern educator is unexcelled in the 
scientific world ; and to this inventive genius, 
when displayed upon the platform, the great body 
of teachers are ever ready to pay homage. To 
keep alive the spirit of enthusiasm, upon which 
the very foundation of the system is supposed to 
rest, the educational pendulum must be kept 
swinging rapidly backward and forward, all at the 
expense of the taxpayer. Year by year the arc 
of movement is increased and the curriculum en- 
larged. The correlated processes of subtraction or 
division, whereby this often unwieldly curriculum 
might be kept within reasonable limits, are seldom 
suggested, and almost never considered. 

"I can in no way better illustrate my meaning, 
my young friends, than by quoting from a recent 
speech of a prominent Normal Principal. 'The 



An Instructor s View. 139 

great trouble,' said he, ' with the work and theory 
of our new education is the crowding of the school 
curriculum. The modern theorist takes some 
point for a start and then he calmly proceeds to 
analyze, synthesize, induce and deduce, until he 
gets that point connected with everything else in 
the universe that he has seen, heard or thought of. 
Basing their plan on the assumption that some 
time a child will need certain facts and principles, 
these foolish teachers cram the mind and dissipate 
the energies of their pupils with an endless series 
of observations, inductions and deductions in the 
realms of all the "ologies" and "isms." The 
little minds are filled with a jumble of monads, 
protoplasm, bacteria, late novels, ichthyosaurus, 
dinosaurus, and examples of creation generally, 
from the primordial protoplasm to the attenuated 
theory of a Boston transcendentalist. Each teacher 
and specialist in turn pounces on the hapless child, 
and each little faculty, as it were, is taken out of 
each little head and given a special twist in the 
direction of some new fad — for, like Cicero, these 
mighty leaders of thought take little stock in the 
work, begun by other men. Each is a champion 
of something that in his opinion will shake the 
earth to her center. Such theories and such work 
are worthy of nothing but ridicule. Such a system 
of education can result in nothing to the average 
pupil but a smattering. He is dragged from Dan 
to Beersheba, somewhat like a boy holding on to 



140 Nicholas Comcnius. 

the tail-board of a wagon drawn by a runaway 
team. He doesn't even have time to touch terra 
firma or to admire the scenery as he passes. That 
which made great men in the past will make them 
to-day. With all of them — Franklin, Lincoln, 
Garfield and the rest — it was some task that re- 
quired the putting forth all of their power.' 

' 4 Under our new dispensation, we hear far too 
little of this educational gospel, which is as true 
now as ever. The fact is, there is entirely too 
much costly display in nearly every department of 
our new education ; and your own institute, I am 
compelled to say, is no exception. These enter- 
taining 'talks,' as you aptly designate them, it is 
true may for the time being lift the institute into 
an atmosphere of enthusiasm ; but they are not the 
kind of talks calculated to advance the profession 
along the line of advanced thought, nor to place it 
where the early promoters of the system intended 
it should stand, on a permanent foundation." 

As these remarks, so manifestly at variance with 
the tenor of the lecturer's own addresses before the 
previous institute, fell upon the ears of this little 
circle of professional teachers, there was a moment- 
ary pause, as if they were conscious of the awkard 
dilemma into which their ill-considered remarks 
had led them. 

"I fail to comprehend, professor, how you, a 
prominent institute instructor, can reconcile your 
position with that assumed before the institute, if 



An Instructor 's View. 141 

I correctly interpret your statement," came in a 
half apologetic tone from the tallest of the little 
circle of teachers. 

"It is easily explained, gentlemen, and if you 
will bear with me for another moment," said he, 
with a wave of the hand and a slight twinkle of 
the eye, "I will illustrate my meaning in away 
that cannot be misunderstood. As an example, 
take the teachers of your own county, of whom you 
no doubt constitute an important factor, if I am to 
judge by the interest you have manifested in my 
behalf, and for whose benefit I have traveled over 
one thousand miles, at an expense to your Superin- 
tendent of nearly three hundred dollars, and mark 
the result. As most of the teachers of Blackwell 
county are young, ardent and enthusiastic, I am 
presumed, as a matter of course, to anticipate their 
wants and to give them, in my daily discourses, 
such information as will best aid them in the prac- 
tical operations of the school-room. But while the 
kind of information they most need is at times dry 
and insipid, that which they receive must of neces- 
sity be of such a character, I regret to say, as will 
appeal in the most direct way to their vanity and 
their emotional nature, rather than to their sense 
of reason and sound judgment. 

"But to go a step further: Institute instructors 
who are annually called upon to meet the whims 
and caprices of superintendents, teachers and direc- 
tors, and more especially the public at large, which 



142 Nicholas Comenius. 

of late years has become an important element in 
these annual educational gatherings, have learned 
by sad experience how to handle a modern 
teachers' convention to advantage. On more 
than one occasion have I been met by a committee 
of teachers at the station, and after an all-around 
hand-shake and a few passing remarks about the 
weather and the crops, the chairman would elbow 
himself to my side, grasp my satchel, and as we 
jogged along arm in arm to my hotel quarters, 
with the other members at a safe distance in the 
rear, would remark in a confidential way: ' Profes- 
sor, the institute is anticipating, at your hands, a 
perfect literary treat; the posters containing your 
lithograph have already gone into every nook and 
corner of the county, and the indications are that 
you will be complimented by one of the largest 
audiences you have ever had the pleasure of ad- 
dressing.' Then after a moment he would pro- 
ceed: 'Now Professor, I hope that, in the time set 
apart for you, you will manage to steer clear of the 
dry platitudes of the school-room curriculum; of 
these we have had an ample sufficiency. What we 
most need is a series of talks that will appeal 
directly to our emotional nature, in order that the 
murky atmosphere of the school-room may be for- 
gotten, at least for the time being.' This is but a 
sample, my young friend, of the kind of instruction 
expected at many of these annual teachers' meet- 
ings. Dry facts, unless sugar-coated or dealt out 



An Instructor' s View. 143 

in homeopathic doses, make little or no impression 
on the rank and file. Indeed, I can in no way 
more fully emphasize my concluding remark than 
by reading an extract or two from a letter received 
from your own Superintendent engaging my ser- 
vices for this occasion." Opening the letter he 
read as follows: 

"In tny humble efforts to provide for our coming Thanks- 
giving week's entertainments in such a way as to eclipse those 
of my worthy predecessor, I am constrained to suggest that, in 
your allotted time, you will intersperse whatever dry facts you 
may have to offer with matter calculated to lift our teachers to 
a higher sphere of professional standing. 

"P. S. — It has been suggested in a casual way by the com- 
mittee of arrangements, composed of five of our leading 
teachers, that a few well-chosen anecdotes apropos to the sub- 
ject matter in hand might prove a wholesome panacea for the 
otherwise dull routine of the daily exercises." 

Refolding the letter and casting a glance at the 
members of the committee, he beheld a scene even 
more sensational than any of his talks had pro- 
duced among the audience at the institute. A 
death-like pallor had spread over their heretofore 
cheerful countenances, as each in turn began look- 
ing at the others and then for the nearest avenue 
of escape. 

"Only a few moments more, gentlemen, while 
I fully define my position. Acting on the principle 
that to be forewarned is to be forearmed, I came to 
the institute a year ago at the committee's sug- 
gestion, prepared to amuse and entertain, rather 




(I 4 6) IN THE COURT-HOUSE CORRTEOR, 



Book Department of Institute. 147 

tiles of the floor were literally carpeted with an 
assortment of circulars bearing on every subject 
known even to a modern teachers' institute. As 
Nicholas cast his eyes around, his first impression 
was that he had entered a book-store, and in his 
movements he endeavored if possible to avoid step- 
ping on any of the handsome engravings that lay at 
his feet. "Ah, ; ' thought Nicholas, as the young 
lads gathered around him, crowding circular after 
circular into his hands and even forcing them into 
the capacious pockets of his great top-coat, "truly, 
Nicholas Comenius is no stranger after all among 
the young lads of the institute." But when 
he protested that he was not disposed to pur- 
chase any of the costly material thrust upon him, 
the young lads only chuckled and said: "It's not 
necessary to pay for these, old man; given away 
free to everybody who attends the institute." 

At last, as Nicholas began to feel himself at 
home, he was approached by a stylishly-attired 
representative of one of the leading publishing 
houses, who, taking him aside, remarked in a very 
confidential manner: "What School Board in the 
county, my venerable friend, have you the honor to 
represent? You see," handing him his card, 
"while I am a perfect stranger in this locality, the 
firm I represent has the very best line of text-books 
in America. What I say to you must be said in a 
whisper and in the strictest confidence, for the 
agent directly to my right is an old stager at the 



148 Nicholas Comenius. 

business, and claims to carry most of the School 
Boards of your county in his vest pocket. Think 
of it, Mr. President, as no doubt you are. Think 
of these immense, overgrown corporations, fasten- 
ing their talons like an octopus upon every self- 
respecting district in the state !" 

"I am not" — was Nicholas' attempted reply. 

"One moment, one moment more, my friend," 
continued this silver-tongued representative. 
"Now if you can guarantee me a hearing with any 
degree of assurance that our full line of books will 
receive favorable consideration at your next meet- 
ing, it will afford me the greatest pleasure to re- 
member you regularly with a free copy of our latest 
monthly publication, entitled 'The Director's 
Friend.' " 

"Your attention, for only a moment or two, my 
worthy friend," came a voice from his left, as a 
delicate hand was gently laid upon his shoulder. 
"As you are no doubt," remarked this enthusiastic 
rival, "a very influential Director, consequent to 
your age, allow me to caution you against the 
flattery of those Bostonian agents. They are," 
said he, in a patronizing tone of voice, "a most 
unscrupulous set, plying their nefarious traffic in 
the very face of our own state publications, which 
you will agree with me should at all times have 
priority — other things of course being equal. 
Now here, my friend, is a new work" (hold- 
ing it up and running through its pages with the 



Book Department of Institute. 1 49 

expertuess of a trained critic), "on the Philosophy 
of our New Education. As a highly meritorious 
treatise on this important subject, and partly as a 
compliment to the distinguished author, whose 
services the Superintendent was enabled to secure 
only at great expense to the institute, the Com- 
mittee on the Course of Study has unanimously 
recommended it to the various School Boards as an 
invaluable addition to the school libraries of the 
county." 

Before this enterprising knight of the literary 
world had fully stated the conditions for the in- 
troduction of this modern aid to the professional 
teacher, and before Nicholas could make reply, he 
was accosted on his right by an active, prepossess- 
ing young individual, who grasping him by the 
hand led him aside and in a pleasing tone re- 
marked: "I have a few words of caution I desire 
to impress upon you, my venerable friend. You 
are evidently a director of the old school, and I 
should judge from your appearance the other mem- 
bers are equally conservative and little disposed to 
take kindly to any of the new-fangled publications 
these book-fiends are ever ready to force upon the 
conscientious and unsuspecting director. The very 
name of that book, the Philosophy of our New 
Education — should be sufficient to condemn it in 
the eyes of conservatism. This continual prating 
about our new education is all wind — in fact, our 
new education is nothing but a rehash of the old 



150 Nicholas Comenius. 

under a flaming new title and cover, to catch the 
eye of the young. Now, the publications I repre- 
sent are late editions of a line of educational works, 
published first away back in the early forties — 
books that were in common use fifty years ago, 
when you were, no doubt, a teacher. Our Arith- 
metics, for example, are reproductions of the very 
best that swayed the mathematical world over two 
generations ago, with the double rule of three, 
mensuration and vulgar fractions, the three pre- 
dominating essentials. Our Spellers strictly ad- 
here to the old pronunciation of Scriptural names, 
omitting many outlandish words invented by the 
successors of old Noah Webster. (Knew him well, 
I presume, in your early days, eh?) Then our 
Geographies, you will observe on careful examina- 
tion, conform to what, in these days of high pres- 
sure, is sneeringly termed the 'question and an- 
swer' method, in contradistinction to what the 
enthusiast is pleased to designate 'the search light 
of geographical teaching' — the one claiming to 
furnish ideas only, the other strictly adhering to 
the memory process of fifty years ago. Now, my 
old friend, with the educational world rushing 
headlong from one extreme to the other, it is cer- 
tainly reassuring to find, among the older Directors, 
at least one with a disposition to move slowly. 
Ah, but best of all are our Readers — reproductions 
of the series known when you were a lad for their 
many most excellent scriptural quotations from the 



Book Department of Institute. i 5 1 

proverbs of Solomon; and based 011 the principle 
laid down two centuries ago by old John Amos 
Comenius, references to whose writings you may 
have noticed in the olden times. And who ever 
heard of Comenius wasting his time on such 
modernized theories as the Ouincy, the Grube, the 
Phonic or the Word method ? Yes, yes, the whole 
line of our publications possess a two-fold advan- 
tage: first, old-time methods and contents; second, 
modern manufacture. With these two weapons, 
offensive and defensive, I am invincible, and at all 
times prepared to meet every shade of public opin- 
ion. For instance, in canvassing the young 
teachers, and especially the younger members of 
the Boards, I seldom, if ever, refer to the contents. 
It's the binding that captures the young chap, if 
it's red, yellow or crimson, with a handsomely 
colored chromo for the frontispiece. Not so, how- 
ever, with the conservatives, whose eyes are seldom 
dazzled by the colors of the rainbow. With them, 
it's a speech of old Dan Webster or Henry Clay, 
the statesmen of your day, that brings the answer 
every time. And now, my venerable friend, as I 
have enlightened you on a good many important 
subjects, in a confidential way, I hope" — 

"Oh, give the old man a rest, Ned!" broke in a 
chorus of voices, with a good-natured chuckle. 
"What are you giving the old gentleman, anyway? 
He's no school trustee — only some superannuated 
old-time pedagogue, whom the convention is al- 



152 Nicholas Comenius. 

ways certain to resurrect once a year on these fes- 
tive occasions." 

''Hold on, my versatile young friends!" came 
the reply, as Nicholas Comenius, with his well- 
preserved vigor and commanding physique, faced 
his besiegers. "You must not let your ardor run 
away with your discretion, nor let your flippancy 
delude you with a false estimation of your smart- 
ness. I am neither a school director nor intellec- 
tual fossil, as your duplex opinion would have me. 
Your gushing enthusiasm and modernized cuteness 
have mistaken the man, but have most unmistak- 
ably and satisfactorily delineated your mental 
status. What I am, it does not become me at this 
moment to dwell upon, nor might you care to 
know — yet suffice it to say, fifty years ago it would 
not have been safe for such characters as you to run 
at large. The tendency of the times is toward lax 
discipline, of which you seem to be not unworthy 
exponents; and the 'wide and liberal culture' 
afforded by our modern teachers' institutes seems 
not to have been bestowed upon you in vain. 
These text-books may indeed be the best ever 
printed, and the celebrated author, who you say is 
one of the instructors of the institute, may be 
worth the high price paid him by the County Super- 
intendent; but neither the excellency of the books, 
nor the ability of the noted author, can atone for 
the rude display of freshness and frivolity given by 
you so gratuitously in my behalf. If I must take 



Book Department of Institute. 153 

your conduct and these incidents as an index to 
the institute, it may be feared that the stern and 
rugged discipline of the old schoolmasters has 
given way to misdirected zeal in the interest of the 
so-called 'New Education.' " 

The reproof so forcibly administered had the de- 
sired effect of putting to flight the raw and undis- 
ciplined book-agents who had imagined they could 
make capital, for their fun or profit, of the vener- 
able stranger. It was a stinging rebuke, though 
spoken in tones so low that the attention of the 
ordinary passer-by would not have been arrested. 
Too well Comenius knew and appreciated the ser- 
vices of the well-equipped book agent; for it was 
the text-book in the hands of these thrifty adven- 
turers that preceded the County Superintendent and 
the best equipped educator in many a backwoods 
district. Comenius fully realized that while their 
mission in the broad field of literature had at times 
added a multiplicity of branches to the school-room 
curriculum, the good results attained during his 
incumbency in office more than compensated for 
any injury done the system. They may at times 
have overstepped the bounds of propriety and ex- 
pediency, but wherever their influence had been 
most largely felt, there a preponderance of healthy 
public sentiment had ever existed. 

As Nicholas was in the act of ascending the 
long winding stair that led to the platform above, 
he was startled by the mention of his own name. 



154 Nicholas Comenius. 

•'Ah," thought he, "here, after all, is some old- 
time educator, claiming recognition from his old 
friend." As he turned, an elderly gentleman, of 
perhaps sixty, grasped him by the hand. 

"Can it be possible," exclaimed this apparent 
stranger, for such he seemed in the eyes of Nich- 
olas, " that the pleasure has been afforded me of 
meeting Nicholas Comenius, whom I have not seen 
for over twenty years ? ' ' 

"You are a stranger to me: in fact, I have not 
the slightest recollection of ever meeting you," 
exclaimed Nicholas, who was not without his mis- 
givings lest a repetition of the little episode that 
had occurred a moment before might be the result. 

"Why! have you forgotten your old friend 
Reynolds — Frank Reynolds, of the old house of 
Brazer Bros., Boston?" came the interrogatory, 
as a bright smile illumined his face. "The same 
individual, grown a little older and a little grayer, 
that's all; but still following in the same line of 
business, since the time we both went coasting 
around through Blackwell county, thirty-odd years 
ago; you as Superintendent, and I, with satchel in 
hand, trying to persuade the trustees to part with 
old Noah Webster's Spelling-book and Pike's old 
Arithmetic. How are all the boys flourishing 
anyway, over at Shaky Hollow and along the 
Ridge? Still keep the Lyceum alive? and are 
the young chaps still discussing the Kansas- 
Nebraska Bill, the Dred Scott decision, and hun- 



Book Department of Institute. 1 5 5 

dreds of kindred subjects that kept the young folks 
from deserting the old homestead?" 

"Oh, glad to see yon my old friend," replied 
Nicholas. "But the young folks, did you say? 
No, it's not around the homestead you'll find the 
young men nowadays: and there's a reason for it, 
that you'll soon discover if you've an observing 
eye, and are not too much wrapped up in the new 
conditions to acknowledge the truth when you 
hear it. Yes, yes, there have been many changes 
throughout Blackwell county since you were an 
active factor in the agency field, but there aren't as 
many young men around the farms nowadays as 
thirty years ago. Of course, the first break oc- 
curred more than a generation ago; but as the 
system kept growing and the old academic institu- 
tions disappearing, the number of runaways kept 
on increasing, so that at the present day there 
aren't enough hanging around to keep the crops 
moving. It's the plain truth, my friend, and I've 
been preaching it to the young men for a good 
many years. 'Stick to the old plantation, boys;' 
I'd tell them; 'it'll carry you through life with 
less worry of mind and body than the world can 
give in any other place or at any other calling.' 
You see, when a young lad nowadays graduates 
over at the Normal school in all the scientific 
studies that the new system's invented, it don't 
generally take more than a week's persuasion to 
induce the old gentleman to execute a mortgage, 



1 5 6 Nicholas Comenhis. 

sufficient to start him off to the University. Talk 
about poverty among the constituents of Blackwell 
county! Why, bless me! during the last thirty 
years I've counted no less than threescore of these 
educated professors leaving Emden district for the 
law, or for some other professional calling. And 
for every one that's deserted the farm there's been 
a pretty stiff mortgage entered up over there in the 
Recorder's office. But, confidentially speaking, 
while it's no reflection on the institute, it'll never 
do to preach it round in open meetings among the 
young educators. Here my friend, is a case in 
point that I've no objection to refer to, if you care 
to listen before the exercises begin," continued 
Nicholas Comenius, as he braced himself against 
the heavy railing for support. 

"As there's still a half hour before train time, I 
shall be only too happy to listen," replied Frank 
Reynolds, as he shifted his position to let a stray 
absentee pass. 

"Now," continued Nicholas, "there was old Ike 
Smith's boy Tom, and a right sprightly chap was 
he; but the young teacher kept patting him on the 
head and sending word to the old man that his boy 
Tom was never born to be a farmer, but to be 
President some day." 

"Oh, I comprehend," was Frank's quick reply. 

"Well, this so inflated the old man with new 
ideas of Tom's future greatness, that one day he 
morto-agred the best farm in the district, and sent 



Book Department of Institute. 157 

him off to the University. This was about four 
years ago, and since then what was left of the old 
homestead took a notion to pull up stakes and 
follow the lad to keep him company. From that 
time on, Ike's been living on hope, a mighty un- 
certain article these days. Day after Thanksgiving 
last, if my memory serves me right, Ike received a 
letter from the President of the Faculty, and when 
the squire read it to him and his neighbors, who 
had a kindly feeling for the old man, that Thomas 
Washington Smith had been elected President of 
the 'College Base Ball Team' and needed a little 
more ready cash, he never even smiled, but kept 
looking straight through the window over at the 
farm, where his other three boys were doing days' 
work while Tom was making a record at college." 
"True, my good old friend, true every word. 
Seems to strike pretty close to home, though; for 
I've wasted a mighty comfortable little property 
in that direction myself, but what the harvest's 
to be is pretty difficult to say," came the reply, 
with a shake of the head, as Frank Reynolds, the 
old school-book agent, gave a sigh of regret. "But 
how is old Parson Hoskins, who years ago dwelt in 
the ivy-covered parsonage; Squire Benton, who 
dealt out mercy and justice in his rough way to the 
denizens of Shaky Hollow; and last, though not 
least, old Oscar Bently, the host of the General 
Washington, and Ebenezer Lukins, the worthy 
President of Emden School Board?" 



158 Nicholas Comcnius. 

"Sorry to say, my friend," was the reply of 
Nicholas, "they're all keeping company with Jim 
and Tim, the old schoolmasters, over in the little 
burying-ground beside the moss-covered church. 
And besides, there isn't a single director living 
who was active in the cause when you were operat- 
ing in Blackwell county." 

"Yes, there's been a tremendous change in the 
directorship all over the country," was Frank's 
suggestive response; "younger men are forging 
their way to the front, who are susceptible to the 
same influences that control the teacher's profes- 
sion." 

"A little too much extravagance for the practical 
results obtained, you perceive, but it must be 
spoken in a whisper — never do to attempt to speak 
your mind in the convention," replied Nicholas, 
with a smile. "What in the early days were 
necessary aids to the young teacher, you will ob- 
serve during recent years have been thrust by the 
wholesale on School Boards. It's a fact worth 
thinking about," he continued, as he kept his eye 
on the young agents, who were casting sly glances 
at him. "And from the most favorable stand- 
point, primary instruction, the great bulk of these 
self-acting, automatic dispensers of knowledge — 
the modern charts — presuppose the teacher to be 
nothing more or less than an automatic machine, 
capable of pressing the button in order that the 
light of two centuries may be visibly reflected back 



Book Department of Institute. 159 

upon the mind of every pupil within the walls of a 
rural school." 

"A pretty logical conclusion," was the half- 
apologetic response: "and proves beyond question 
that you have kept pace with the current events of 
the day." 

Then Frank Reynolds, whose firm had but re- 
cently published a set of self-adjusting charts, 
looked at his watch, shook Nicholas Comenins by 
the hand, and directed his way towards the station. 

"True, every word," soliloquized Frank, as he 
hurried down the great stone steps. " Seems these 
old-timers can see further into the new conditions 
than those who are entrusted with the education 
of the young. But who's to blame? Certainly 
not the agent, nor the publisher! It's the short 
way to knowledge the public's seeking, and any 
school-room appliance that'll get a boy there in the 
shortest time is what the people want. If one set 
fails to bring the answer, the very next session the 
Board' 11 be casting around for something only a 
little more costly. Seems to be a trait of human 
nature to revel among the theories and generalities, 
accepted to-day and discarded to-morrow," he con- 
cluded, as he boarded the fast express. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

INSTITUTE IN OPERATION — MODERN ENTERPRISE 
VERSUS OLD FOGYISM. 

As the hand of the court house clock marks the 
appointed hour, Nicholas stands at the extreme 
end of the room, already crowded by curious spec- 
tators. For a long time after the devotional exer- 
cises he stands, listening to the singing of "My 
Country 'Tis of Thee," and to an ardent speaker, 
who is talking on the glories of popular education 
and the rapid strides of intellectual progression. 
Presently a young lady, noticing the old gentle- 
man, rises, steps over to his side, and offers him her 
seat. With grateful recognition he accepts, and all 
through the exercises follows the proceedings with 
unabated interest. But who, in all this assembly, 
can estimate the intensity of feeling that throbs 
within the bosom of Nicholas Comenins, as his eyes 
take in the surrounding mass of young men and 
women, with no one to extend the hand of good 
fellowship save the young miss whose sweet voice 
had asked: "Are you looking for a seat, my aged 
friend? Come, and I will give you mine." And 
yet, had this young teacher, if such she were, done 
II 161 



1 62 Nicholas Contemns. 

anything more than what common politeness 
should at all times demand, whether in a conven- 
tion of teachers or in the humblest walks of life? 
Of course, for the moment, many eyes were turned 
from the speaker toward the young lady ; but how 
many understood the purely unselfish motive that 
prompted the act? Were there not ushers — active, 
intelligent young men — providing seats, here and 
there, for the strong and vigorous? and had they 
simply overlooked the aged father in the excite- 
ment of the moment? 

"A very gracious, lady-like act," I remarked to 
an intelligent young teacher beside me. 

"Rather officious on her part, if anything," was 
his indifferent response, as he kept his eye on the 
speaker. "The fact is," he continued, after a 
moment's hesitation, b}' way of gentle rebuke for 
our implied reflection upon the stronger sex, "these 
old folks are not interested particularly in the 
cause, and drop in on the institute more through 
curiosity than from a desire to give encouragement 
to the proceedings." 

" Are you then, acquainted with that old gentle- 
man?" I ventured to ask. 

"Oh, no. He is, no doubt, one of the olden-time 
educators who were active in the field when Nich- 
olas Comenius had charge of the institute." 

"Nicholas Comenius?" I replied; "seems that 
name is not altogether unfamiliar. Were you ac- 
quainted with Nicholas?" 



Institute in Operation. 1 63 

" No, never remember having met the old peda- 
gogue ; but I've heard his name mentioned, at 
times, in connection with the proceedings. Many 
amusing incidents are going the rounds of the pro- 
fession, as to the way he ran the machine. He 
was set in his ways, and couldn't be induced to 
inaugurate any new reforms." 

" Why, wherein did his methods differ from 
those of the present Superintendent?" 

"Differ? why bless me, there's all the difference 
in the world ! To tell the truth, Comenius didn't 
run the institute himself; the old masters ran it 
for him. First one old chap would stand up and 
give his experience in the school-room ; then 
another would read an essay on the Practice of 
Teaching, that had taken him all winter to pre- 
pare ; then one after another would rise in his place 
and discuss its merits. After this, old Nicholas 
would divide the institute into more than a dozen 
classes, in charge of the best masters of the county." 

" Not an unpractical course of procedure, by any 
means," I hinted. 

" No, perhaps not at that early day," was his 
equivocal response, as he caught the eye of the 
Superintendent. Following the line of thought, 
he continued, a moment later : " It was rather em- 
barassing, though, to those who were called upon 
to give expression to their own views." 

" Made them thoughtful and self-reliant, and 
better adapted for practical work," I suggested^ 



164 Nicholas Comenius. 

"You are mistaken in your premises, stranger," 
said lie, with eyes riveted on the speaker. 

A moment later, and while the audience were 
singing " Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean," he 
turned, and in a half-suspicious manner said : " It 
is useless for the professional teacher to do what 
the institute pays others to do for him. Our 
worthy Superintendent has entire charge, employs 
the very best professional services he can com- 
mand, and they in turn, who really know better 
the wants of the average teacher than he does him- 
self, conduct the proceedings." 

" A logical, well-digested conclusion, and admir- 
ably put," was our unspoken reflection, as we be- 
held in the rear of the room the stalwart form of 
Stephen Smithers leaning against the wall. 

" Ah, how many times have I looked in upon a 
similar body of educators in this same old court 
room, a generation ago," suggested I, to a promis- 
ing young professional gentleman to my left, who 
was at the moment engaged in humming a familiar 
air from an institute note-book, provided gratui- 
tously by one of the school-book publishers. 

"Been a teacher, in your day?" was his signifi- 
cent question. 

"No, not exactly a teacher, but an observer of 
current events," I replied. " But alas, what a con- 
trast ! In those days there were gray hairs ; young 
and middle-aged men and women — all engaged in 
a common cause, the education of youth." 



Institute in Operation. 165 

"True enough, old man," came a home thrust, 
that made our own few hairs rise in righteous 
indignation. 

"Old man?" thought I, as I looked around for 
the nearest avenue of escape; "Old man!" why, 
bless me ! and still on the sunny side of fifty ! 
What in the name of conscience was the world 
coining to, any way ? 

"Gray hairs, then," I said aloud, "are in these 
advanced times no longer commendable in the 
eyes of the Superintendent and the great body of 
teachers. What then has become of the old vet- 
erans, and what will be the ultimate fate of this 
great body of educators, when they shall have 
reached the 'dead line,' so to speak? Are they 
to be retired on a snug pension, as a reward for 
past services and a protection against the vicissi- 
tudes incident to declining old age?" 

" Never reach it, my friend." 

"Ah, friend," thought I, "that sounds better, and 
doesn't grate so harshly on the sensitive nerves." 

" Experience," he continued, as he kept time 
with his finger to the music, " has long since 
taught the great bulk of the profession the danger 
of steering too close to the rapids. Occasionally 
some poor, unfortunate wayfarer, with his whole 
soul wrapped up in the cause, may continue to 
hang on to a rural school; but in the end you'll 
find him twirling round in the whirlpool of de- 
spondency, with none to do him reverence." 



1 66 Nicholas Comenius. 

"And so this, then, accounts for the lack of gray 
hairs, eh?" 

"That's about the size of it," was his parting 
salute, as he joined in the chorus of the " Hymn of 
Thanksgiving." 

At the conclusion of this national air, a well- 
dressed gentleman arose, amid tremendous ap- 
plause. It was his third annual visit to the insti- 
tute. That he stood at the head of one of the 
leading institutions of pedagogics may be assumed ; 
for in presenting his name to the Superintendent 
the Literary Bureau had taken occasion to say: 
" The distinguished institute instructor whose 
name we have the honor to present for your con- 
sideration, stands foremost among the literary 
personages of the day. In the science underlying 
the philosophy of our modern theory and methods 
of teaching, he stands without a rival. In the ex- 
position of ideal truths, in the diversity and unifi- 
cation of methods, and in the elucidation of the 
various teaching processes, you will find him 
without an equal in the broad field of literary 
pursuits." With this splendid recommendation, 
known only to the Superintendent, and after the 
rapturous applause had subsided, he started out by 
saying : 

" Ladies and gentlemen, and teachers of this 
grand old county, it becomes my pleasant duty to 
meet with you once again, on this charming 
Thanksgiving morning — this festive occasion. 



Institute in Operation. 1 67 

Having lectured before nearly every teachers' con- 
vention in this broad Commonwealth, I am but 
giving expression to my inmost convictions when I 
say that this immense body of young educators is 
the most intelligent, the most highly cultured, and 
altogether the most attentive, it has ever been my 
good fortune to address. And as to your most 
worthy Superintendent, ladies and gentlemen, per- 
mit me to say, preparatory to my opening address, 
that in all respects he best represents the vital, un- 
derlying principles, upon which rests our glorious 
free school system. And now, fellow teachers," 
said he, preparing to launch forth into the wide 
realm of unsettled problems and unproven theories, 
"as the teacher's profession, like the great scientific 
world at large, is yearly undergoing many radical 
changes, it may be necessary for the speaker to re- 
verse himself on certain very essential points, as 
the Honorable Court would express it were he 
occupying the bench instead of myself." (Con- 
tinued applause and clapping of hands.) " And 
now, if there be any among you, my young friends, 
who can recall any one of the half-dozen proposi- 
tions laid down as a basis in my talks of a year ago, 
I shall be only too happy to have him rise and 
do so. ' ' 

At the conclusion of this appeal, and while he 
stood awaiting a reply that came not, a buzz of ex- 
citement pervaded the entire assembly. The young 
ladies cast wistful glances over at the young gentle- 



1 68 Nicholas Comenius. 

men — all endeavoring to recall some portion of the 
speaker's remarks, but without avail. 

"While I cannot recall any portion," remarked 
one, in a whisper, "it was, nevertheless, the most 
delightful talk I have ever listened to." 

" Indeed, it fairly sparkled with well-rounded 
metaphors," said another. 

" And how it appealed to the higher attributes 
of our nature," chimed in a third. 

" But while I, at the time, was charmed by the 
flights of eloquence, I must confess," ventured a 
timid young lady, " it was quite beyond my com- 
prehension." 

And so, while this great body of teachers had for 
the moment felt the force of an inspiration that 
seemed to thrill their very natures, there had been 
little or nothing in the talks that the average 
teacher could retain for practical use in the school 
room. 

After a few remarks in which the last speaker 
on the programme paid a glowing tribute to the 
old flag and thanked an all-wise Providence for the 
bounteous blessings which this beautiful Thanks- 
giving had brought to one and all, a messenger 
forced his way to the front and handed the Super- 
intendent a sealed note. After scrutinizing its 
contents, he turned and said : " It is to be regretted 
exceedingly that the request of my legal friend can 
not be complied with, for the reason that any 
departure from the pre-arranged programme could 



Institute in Operation. 1 69 

only result in the disarranging of the entire week's 
proceedings." 

And so with a tap of the bell ended the first 
Thanksgiving session of Blackwell County Teach- 
ers"' Institute. Ended, to the relief of the hun- 
dreds of patient, earnest workers, who for three 
long hours had endured the stifling air of a poorly- 
ventilated court room. 

" Rather tiresome," I suggested to a modest- 
looking lady, whose pallid cheeks and frail form 
bore the imprint of earnest, conscientious work in 
the school-room. 

" Yes," was her reply : " it's awfully tiresome to 
be compelled to sit daily for six long hours in this 
place and on the hard benches that may answer for 
witnesses and jurymen, but are scarcely in keeping 
with the conditions of a teachers' institute." 

Was the Superintendent, who was at this mo- 
ment surrounded by a number of leading citizens 
of the town, eager to compliment him, altogether 
responsible for the conditions that prevailed? He 
was simply the exponent of misdirected public 
opinion. Having direct charge of a great body of 
mostly young and inexperienced teachers, he was 
trying to direct it along the placid stream to the 
fountain head of knowledge. Was his institute a 
success? Yes, in the highest degree; for had not 
the very highest authority, the Department of 
Public Instruction, publicly pronounced it such? 
And were there not, at this very moment, a score 



170 Nicholas Comenius. 

or more in waiting to shake him by the hand, 
ready to congratulate him on the attention and 
splendid order maintained? In fact, had not the 
young judge of the court said only a moment be- 
fore, "Professor, your institute has proven a 
wonderful success ; growing better every year." 
And when the Superintendent blushed and said, 
"Judge, do you mean it?" had he not replied, 
"Of course I do! — most undoubtedly; and none 
but an old fogy would pronounce it otherwise ! " 

And who in all this vast assembly, in the closing 
years of the nineteenth century, would submit to 
being called an old fogy ? To be termed a school- 
master or a school ma' am might be tolerated — but 
to be designated an "old fogy," never! 

Old fogy ism in the teacher's profession of Black- 
well county? Why, the term is as obsolete as 
Pike's Arithmetic, or the double rule of three. In- 
deed, there is so little of the old to be found among 
the new conditions, that it is almost as difficult to 
determine how, when or whence came the system, 
as to predict whither we are drifting, or where we 
shall ultimately arrive. But who among all the 
young educators of Blackwell county particularly 
cares whether the common school system ever had 
a beginning or whether it shall ever have an end, 
so long as the enthusiasm holds out and the tax- 
payer stands ready to provide the means? Where 
among the rank and file can one be found who has 
the moral fortitude to stand before this great body 






Old Fogyism ? 171 

of teachers and incur the odium of being called an 
*'old fogy?" He may have his own convictions, 
may possibly have lived long enough to see the last 
swing of the educational pendulum in the direction 
of abstract theories and extravagant tendencies. 
He may have studied the significant lesson, felt the 
pressure of methods and devices, aids and appli- 
ances: but could he afford to run counter to that 
so-called larger faith that emanates directly from 
the teachers' institute ? 

Happily for the young executive officer, the day 
of old fogyism has passed away with the last old 
master from the old log school-house by the way- 
side. And who mourns either for the old school- 
master, the old schooi-ma'am, or the old school- 
house? Who longs for the old text-books, the 
birch rod, and the old methods? But following 
these, the capacious playground, the old games and 
pastimes, are fast disappearing from the rural 
school, and the narrow basement of the modernly 
equipped house is set apart for the physical culture 
of the young. Our tender offspring must be nursed 
in these hot-houses and nourished on a concoction 
of physiology and hygiene, which the state has so 
liberally provided as a panacea for all the ills and 
shortcomings of their young nature. 

On the other hand, the young teacher, a pro- 
duct of the nursery of the Normal school, is often- 
times feeble in both mind and body, and yet 
possessing enough stock in trade to command a 



172 Nicholas Comenius. 

fair position and a reasonable salary before lie has 
passed beyond his teens. By a little judicious tact 
and "enterprise," he not infrequently manages to 
secure the choice of several positions during a 
single year, while he is scarcely able to fill either 
with entire satisfaction. Of course these are ex- 
ceptional conditions, and have no reference to that 
large and respectable body of enthusiastic instruc- 
tors who now possess the land. 

"Well," thought I, as the crowd began to dis- 
perse, " this is truly a modern teachers' institute, 
with few of the older customs and ideas that per- 
vaded the ranks of the profession when Nicholas 
Comenius held the official reins of government." 
And as I joined the young and happy throng pass- 
ing down the winding stairs and into the outer 
world, I naturally fell into a reflective frame of 
mind. Yes, the boys may cheer the old flag, but 
who ever hears them cheer the old sun-burnt vet- 
eran who patriotically bears the flag-staff? They 
may hurrah for the Fourth of July, celebrating 
each incoming anniversary with fire-crackers, but 
how many can repeat the Declaration of Independ- 
ence, or care to study its suggestive meaning? 
What a long line of hallowed traditions yearly 
cluster around Christmas day; but how many of our 
boys and girls are taught to revere its' sacred asso- 
ciations? It too, with its old-time child-like sim- 
plicity, has grown out of date, and a new Christmas, 
with all its accompanying extravagant tendencies, 



Old Fogyism? 173 

has taken its place. Thanksgiving, with its boun- 
teous harvest, comes once a year to rich and poor, 
to young and old ; but apart from its festivities and 
pleasures, how many are taught to remember with 
gratitude Him from whom every good thing com- 
eth? New Year's day comes with its hopes and 
anticipations, but the old year cannot be too soon 
forgotten, and the good resolutions of the day share 
the same fate. Eastertide, commemorative of the 
glad tidings of the Resurrection — the harbinger of 
spring, with its fragrant lilies and its richly-colored 
eggs — soon follows the Christmas-tide, only to be 
forgotten before the sun goes down. 

The same careless disregard of the past runs all 
through our modern life. Books of historic value 
are sold to the junk-dealer, while shelves are piled 
with trashy literature bound in finest morocco. 
The old homestead with its many time-scarred im- 
prints disappears, and with it the antiquated furni- 
ture, save perhaps the old 'grandfather's clock,' 
and even this old monitor can scarcely be distin- 
guished from the modern imitations. Old associ- 
ations of a life-time are severed for newer acquain- 
tances without the slightest compunction. Indeed, 
so gradually and imperceptibly have old habits 
and customs, as well as many an old landmark, 
passed from the world about us, that they are as 
little missed, possibly, as was the last of the sturdy 
oaks that clustered around the old farm-house of 
our boyhood days. And yet can we or should we 



174 Nicholas Comenius. 

forget how during the long years it protected the 
old homestead from the wintry blasts, and that 
beneath its clustering branches we spent many 
joyful hours of early childhood? But that mon- 
arch of the forest has fallen before the woodman's 
axe, notwithstanding the admonition of the poet, 

" Woodman, spare that tree ! 
Touch not a single bough, 
In youth it sheltered me 
And I'll protect it now." 

It is true the old oaken bucket and the old town 
pump have been enbalmed by the poet in letters 
of gold ; but as the well has long since ruu dry, 
who now cares for either? The old wine in the 
cellar, perhaps, is guarded with a sparing hand, 
while the old grandfather sits alone in the sitting- 
room above, perchance, neglected and almost for- 
gotten. With equal force may it not be said, that 
the old Bible is being cast aside as too antiquated 
to satisfy the craving propensity for our cheap 
latter-day literature ? And have not many of our 
text-books, and notably our modern series of Read- 
ers, fallen from grace, so to speak? Do they not 
partake of a grade and quality of literature that 
could not have gained a foothold in the schools of 
the land forty years ago ? Or am I simply clamor- 
ing for the reinstatement of old fogy ism, from the 
standpoint of the mistaken judgment of the olden 
times? 



CHAPTER XIV. 

THE OLD DIRECTOR AND THE NEW — " UNCLE 

SOL" M c MURDY AND SAM JONES, M. D. — 

SCHOOL BOARD TACTICS. 

Every department of the educational system is 
included in the crusade against "old fogyism." 
The sturdy old school director, who is perhaps un- 
able to repeat all the branches of the school-room 
curriculum in their regular order, and who occa- 
sionally shakes his head when a new branch is 
added, is being rapidly eliminated. 

"He has become too old to keep up with the 
educational procession," jocularly suggested one 
young lady teacher to another, as they stood com- 
menting on the changes that had taken place in 
the schools of Blackwell county during the year 
previous. "Served twenty-seven years, and never 
missed a meeting of the board." 

' ' Who ?' ' came the quick response. 

"Why, old Solomon McMurdy, or 'Uncle Sol,' 
as he is familiarly known to every boy and girl in 
the district." 

" Progressive?" 

"Never had a director that was more so, and as 

J 75 



176 Nicholas Comenius. 

honest and reliable as his old time-piece ; but yon 
see, he didn't take kindly to some of the latest in- 
novations, especially physiology and hygiene and 
the military drills. Thought there ought to be 
more attention given to reading, spelling, arith- 
metic, and an occasional lesson in book-keeping, 
instead of wasting so much time on theory and 
philosophy of teaching. Yes, the old man had to 
succumb to the march of events, but it's been a 
blessed thing for the whole district." 

"Longer term and an increase of salary followed 
of course," suggested the other. 

"No; salary and term the same. Old Sol, you 
see, had arranged for the longest term and the high- 
est salary the year previous." 

"Well, in what way then was his loss a gain?" 
was the natural question. 

"In more ways than one," continued the other, 
in a confidential tone. "You see, while the old 
man visited the schools regularly once a month, 
he couldn't make a speech to save his life; and 
when he undertook to express himself, his lan- 
guage was so full of grammatical errors that many 
of the larger pupils began to notice them. Then 
he often came into the school-room without the 
slightest warning to the teacher; was rather un- 
couth in his manners, blunt and outspoken in his 
expressions. Just think of it, girls ! For a broken 
window-pane or the slightest injury to one of the 
young trees, he'd call the offenders up and lecture 



Old Director and New. 177 

them before the entire school ; and this, of course, 
didn't suit the parents. And yet, it must be con- 
fessed, Uncle Sol, while a man of few words, was a 
consistent member of the board." 

"Any improvement in the new director?" asked 
one. 

" Improvement? well, I should rather conclude 
there is, and in the proper direction at that — in 
fact, old Sol's successor is a young physician, who 
was a teacher for a term or two, is somewhat of a 
local politician, and a warm personal friend of the 
Superintendent's, whose election was secured 
largely through his instrumentality. These influ- 
ences always count, you know, at the examination." 

"Of course they do," suggested another young 
miss, whose brother was president of the board. 
" I want to bear witness," she added, with a smile, 
" to the standing of the doctor. He is so polished 
in his manners, and so exquisitely polite when he 
enters the school room ; and his well-rounded sen- 
tences are perfectly charming ! Besides, under his 
directorship each school has been furnished with 
a fifty-dollar set of Astronomical Charts and a 
Manual on Military Tactics — essentials that old 
Sol couldn't be induced to purchase." 

By this time a number of teachers had joined the 
group, and the discussion, if such it maybe called, 
ranged all along the line of advanced ideas. "But 
the tax-payer may eventually object," remarked one 
who had up to this time been discreetly silent. 
12 



I 78 Nicholas Comenius. 

" The tax-payer !" answered a half dozen voices: 
"There it is again! — the old fogy cry of 'tax- 
payer,' that's been heard at every institute for the 
last thirty years." 

And another took np the word : "I tell you, my 
friends, it's not the tax-payer that supplies the 
revenue, but the State : and the eleven million 
dollars voted biennially by the Legislature, the 
doctor claims, should be applied to whatever the 
Board may determine, independent of the tax- 
payer. On this point Doctor Jones is as level- 
headed as he is on all other questions. These are 
my sentiments, ladies." 

"And mine," "And mine," came several re- 
plies, with nodding of heads. 

"But where does the Superintendent stand on 
this question?" inquired one whose actions were 
at all times in harmony with those of that import- 
ant functionary. 

" Oh, that is rather a close question to be asking 
in a promiscuous gathering ; and hardly permissi- 
ble at this time, with the triennial election so near 
at hand," was the cautious reply. "The Superin- 
tendent, you see, must be very judicious and con- 
siderate in his expressions — must adapt himself to 
local conditions. Among the old-fogy directors, 
he is extremely cautious and politic ; knows what 
to say and how to say it, and in that way manages 
to maintain his official standing." And with this 
the little group broke up, and my attention was 



Sam Jones, M. D. i 79 

attracted by a pleasant voice at the opposite side 
of the corridor. 

"Suppose we take a look in at the Directors' 
Convention ; there are still a few moments before 
adjournment," one young lady teacher was saying 
to a half dozen others, as they passed in the direc- 
tion of the lower court room. 

"Yes, girls; come this way, and follow your 
leader," came the familiar voice of one whom they 
recognized as the young physician previously re- 
ferred to as the successor of old Sol McMurdy, who 
with report in hand was passing from a committee 
room to the convention, to present the same before 
the hour for adjournment arrived. Young in 
years but old in experience was the irrepressible 
Sam Jones, M. D. With a tremendous responsi- 
bility resting upon his individual shoulders ; with 
the determination to accomplish in one short term 
of three years what had taken others half a life- 
time ; with an enthusiasm that overleapt the 
bounds of prudence and discretion, this champion 
of the new dispensation smilingly remarked, as he 
waved his report over his head : 

" If this goes through without a mishap, girls, it 
will be the grandest event in the educational his- 
tory of Blackwell county, since the inauguration 
of the common school system itself. Think of a 
ten months' term and an average salary of a round 
one hundred dollars per mouth, and no deduction 
for lost time either ! How does such a report 



1 80 Nicholas Comenius. 

strike yon, girls — with a school library and a full 
set of automatic, self-adjusting charts in each 
school in Blackwell county?" continued this en- 
thusiastic director, as he waved his paper right 
and left to emphasize the important victory he had 
just achieved in committee. "Only needs a little 
determination and self-assurance to revolutionize 
the entire educational system, and place it where 
it properly belongs — under the direct control of the 
State Legislature, where our forefathers intended 
it should rest." 

"Oh, doctor! it's awfully considerate in you," 
chimed in a half dozen voices. 

"Don't mention it, girls; it's only a duty the 
doctor owes to the rising generation. Some one, 
you see, must lead off in these very essential "re- 
forms ; otherwise the entire fabric would soon fall 
into 'innocuous desuetude.' Never do to trust 
these necessary reforms to the old fogy tax- payers! 
In fact, my friends, it's no longer a question of 
local taxation, for this report presupposes the State 
shall provide the means and foot the bills. There's 
an old song my father used to sing years ago, en- 
titled, ' Uncle Sam is rich enough to give us all a 
farm.' We'll change the wording of that old song, 
girls, and make it read: 'This grand old State is 
rich enough to build and run the schools.' There'll 
be pretty lively times, girls, when the institutes 
throughout the State get to whooping up that 
song ! It'll spread like wildfire into the very halls 



Sam Jones, M. D. 181 

of legislation, for if there's any one thing calcu- 
lated to stir the members to action, it's a good 
song." 

u But my dear doctor! is there no possibility of 
the report being defeated in convention?" sug- 
gested one, more thoughtful than the others. 

"Defeated? Oh, no! It may meet with some 
opposition, as it did in committee, where the only 
vote recorded against it came from the doctor; but 
it'll go through all the same, and be referred to 
the Legislative Committee, the chairmanship of 
which I was compelled to accept, against my earn- 
est protest." 

"Why, doctor! — oppose your own report?" came 
the startled rejoinder. 

"Yes, opposed it in the interest of the cause." 
Then, more confidentially, he continued: "Oppo- 
sition, at times, is a most potent weapon — as was 
best illustrated in the purchase of the nineteen sets 
of Astronomical charts, a short time ago, when the 
only dissenting vote was that of Jones. " 

"Your own vote? Why doctor, it isn't pos- 
sible!" 

"Yes, yes; all things are possible in these de- 
generate days," chuckled the young practitioner, 
growing more communicative, as was his custom 
when in the presence of the gentler sex — " the 
truth is, few fully comprehend the modus operandi 
of running a school board or a directors' conven- 
tion. Same, you see, as maneuvering a political 



1 82 Nicholas Contemns. 

meeting, only on a smaller scale; both requiring 
knowledge of parliamentary tactics, a little politi- 
cal sagacity, and an intuitive knowledge of the 
weakness of human nature. Hence all that's nec- 
essary is to have a half dozen well-defined speeches, 
pro and con, cut and dried for the occasion. A 
good speech, abounding in well-rounded adjec- 
tives, descriptive of our glorious free school sys- 
tem, and delivered in a commanding tone of voice, 
is morally sure to overawe and intimidate the 
weak and unreflecting, and strengthen the side of 
the speaker." 

"But doctor, as you are generally credited by 
the tax-payers with the responsibility for having 
expended over a thousand dollars for those charts, 
which are considered by many of our teachers 
worthless, some explanation may be necessary on 
your part to disabuse the average mind," came the 
friendly suggestion. 

?'Ah, girls," ironically smiled the young phy- 
sician; "another proof that it isn't always neces- 
sary to advocate a measure to secure success. It 
all occurred in a way you'd never have dreamed of. 
See, when the young agent reached the office he 
was all broken up over his cold reception else- 
where. 

"'Been interviewing the other members,' I 
asked? 'Yes,' he replied, with a doleful shake of 
the head. 'Well, with what success?' 'Sworn 
to oppose any measure advocated by young Doc. 



Sam Jones, M. D. 183 

Jones,' was the reply. ' Did I ever promise to vote 
for your charts, young man ?' ' No! but ' — ' Well, 
go and tell the other members that Doctor Jones 
will be 011 hand at the meeting this very evening, 
and will have something to say on the chart ques- 
tion — and don't show yourself in the doctor's pres- 
ence until the meeting's over. ' Pretty good advice, 
eh ? So, when I reached the school, there stood 
the agent explaining the chart, and there sat the 
five directors, looking at the moon and stars and 
figuring up the cost. ' It's a little too far advanced 
and too costly for the rural school,' I suggested as 
a feeler, 'and furthermore, it isn't practical econ- 
omy to go into the chart business when so many 
other more desirable appliances are absolutely nec- 
essary. I would therefore move, Mr. Chairman, 
that the purchase of these charts be indefinitely 
deferred.' 'Mr. Chairman! — I say Mr. Chairman! 
What I want the Chair to decide is, whether this 
young fledgling of a doctor is to run this school 
board? I would therefore move, Mr. Chairman, to 
amend the motion of the gentleman — that the 
President be authorized to purchase one chart for 
each of the nineteen schools,' said Patrick McGal- 
lagher, with a flourish of his long brawny arm. 
'And I would second the motion, Mr. Chairman,' 
came the voice of a colleague. ' One word more, 
Mr. Chairman,' I interposed; 'if this motion pre- 
vails, I shall most certainly appeal to the court for 
an injunction to restrain the President from draw- 



184 Nicholas Contemns. 

ing his warrant.' 'Let him proceed to restrain, 
Mr. Chairman: it's the motion that's in order first, 
and the injunction at another time,' retorted 
McGallagher." 

"And did the measure pass?" 

"Why bless me," he exclaimed, in an ecstasy of 
delight — "pass? Better believe it passed, and by 
a unanimous vote at that. It wasn't the doctor 
that was going to get left; so before the result was 
announced, I rose and said, ' Mr. Chairman, in 
order that the action of the board may be entirely 
harmonious, I would move to make the adoption 
unanimous.' " 

At this juncture the door of the Directors' room 
suddenly opened, and from within came a voice 
that attracted the attention of the little circle of 
teachers: "Your report, Mr. Chairman, please: 
the Convention's ready to receive it." 

"Oh! hope you'll excuse me, young ladies: 
almost lost sight of the convention and the report." 

And so, tipping his hat to one and all, he grace- 
fully bowed his way into the crowded assembly of 
the patient, law-abiding school officials of Black- 
well county. 

A half hour later, as one after another filed out 
of the dingy court room, I stepped up and asked a 
conscientious-looking, middle-aged gentleman : 
"Adopt the report, eh?" 

"Oh, yes; couldn't well do anything else after 
that great speech of Dr. Jones." 



Sam Jones, M. D. 185 

"Ten months' school term and a hundred dollars 
per month salary! Pretty steep, isn't it, for Black- 
well county?" 

"Oh, it makes no difference to the tax-payer! 
See, the doctor had it all figured out how the State 
Legislature's to supply the money to run the 
schools," was his reply. 

" But where is the State to get the money where- 
with to run the schools?" 

"Never thought of that," came the hesitating 
answer, with a doleful shake of the head. 

And so this vivacious young director, serving 
the second year of his first term, had bamboozled 
the sturdy old farmers into the belief that the State 
is great enough, rich enough and willing enough 
to build and furnish all the school-houses in Black- 
well county, to the absolute relief of the tax-payers! 



CHAPTER XV. 

THE NEW ERA IN THE CITY SCHOOLS. 

" Pardon me, my friend, but can yon give me 
the name of the gentleman who occupied the seat 
directly to the right of the Superintendent during 
the morning's exercises ?" I asked of a middle-aged 
teacher, as we went strolling along one of the lead- 
ing thoroughfares of the town, immediately after 
adjournment. 

"He," replied the teacher, "is the Superintend- 
ent of our city schools, and our first vice-president." 

"He seems somewhat disinclined to move along 
in perfect harmony with the educational procession 
of the institute," I ventured the further remark. 

"That is easily accounted for," was his prompt 
reply ; " you see, the city school system, in the 
estimation of both the Board of Control and the 
Superintendent, is far in advance of the rural 
schools, and we city teachers are supposed to gain 
very little from these annual conclaves of the 
country teachers." 

"It is a remarkable coincidence," I replied, 
" that while every city in the Commonwealth is so 
directly connected with the county in business and 
1 86 



New Era in City Schools. 187 

commercial relations, there should be such diversity 
of sentiment with reference to active co-operation 
in the matter of popular education. Do not these 
two active forces, the City and the County Super- 
intendent, operate along parallel lines of advanced 
thought?" 

"No," was the reply; "the city schools are 
supposed to have reached the summit years ago, 
and until the rural schools shall have struggled up 
the mountain side, intellectually speaking, and 
placed themselves on the city level, there is no 
advantage in our mingling with the rural peda- 
gogues. Understand me, I do not say this is my 
personal view, but the professional opinion, as de- 
rived from my frequent association with the various 
Superintendents. I have been principal of a gram- 
mar school for many years, and at each recurring 
county teachers' convention I find many valuable 
aids and suggestions for my work in the class- 
room ; but unless they are in strict conformity 
with the ideas enunciated by our City Superin- 
tendent, there is absolutely no avenue open through 
which the individuality of the teacher can be 
brought into active co-operation with that of the 
pupil. Our system is as perfect and as well- 
adjusted in its various departments as the phono- 
graph, so that by pressing a button in the office of 
the Superintendent, each and every section moves 
with the precision of well-adjusted mechanism." 

"Then your schools have reached perfection?" 



1 88 Nicholas Comenius. 

" No, not by any means. On the contrary, I 
know that there are lamentable defects in the city 
school system, and if permissible, let me point out 
some of the bad features. In the first place, there 
is too much of the cramming — too much of the 
sieve process; this everlasting pouring in one day 
and drawing out the next, which has proven a 
severe strain and drain on the grammar school and 
primary teachers, as well as on the minds of the 
boys and girls." 

" But have you not followed the annual reports 
of the various City and County Superintendents to 
the Department of Public Instruction; and have 
you not noticed the wonderful wisdom and enthu- 
siasm displayed in these yearly messages?" 

" Followed them ? of course I have. These 
stereotyped reports reach the Department once 
a year, are alphabetically arranged, handsomely 
bound and distributed to the various Superintend- 
ents for circulation, at great expense ; but wherein 
does one differ from another, except possibly in the 
first year's report of some newly-elected official, 
whose standing at the fountain-head is largely de- 
pendent upon the earnestness and enthusiasm dis- 
played in covering the whole educational field, 
from the time of the adoption of the system to the 
present day? He generally starts out by saying : 

" ' Since my own election to the important office 
of Superintendent of schools, so long presided over 
by one whom some are pleased to designate as my 



New Era in City Schools. 189 

old-fogy predecessor, I have visited every portion 
of this great and growing city (or county, as the 
case may be). The interest manifested in popular 
education, the wonderful progress apparent on 
every hand, the unparalleled prosperity attending 
my first year's experience, have encouraged me 
during coming years to press forward along entirely 
new and advanced lines, never before dreamed of in 
the broad domain of popular education.' 

" Abundant space is devoted to the enlargement 
of the school-room curriculum, to physical culture, 
to the introduction of a text-book, and to numerous 
other innovations. Nothing, however, is said about 
the forcing process which endangers health, and 
causes headaches and sleepless nights in the prep- 
aration for the Superintendent's hobby — the period- 
ical examination. No mention is made of the 
desperation to which the rank and file of our teach- 
ers are driven in their efforts to conform to a course 
of study, the prevailing tendency of which is to 
subordinate both teacher and pupil to the text of 
the book. No intimation is given of the insidious 
influences of politics — for the reason, perhaps, that 
his own election may have depended largely on the 
political 'pull.' Not a word is said in these graph- 
ically prepared reports of the modern appliance 
known as the educational school-room ladder. 
Every Superintendent has one of his own concep- 
tion, which the teacher is instructed to keep con- 
stantly before the school. Some are so high and 



1 



190 Nicholas Comenius. 

the topmost rong so far out of sight as to make it 
almost impossible for any but the brightest to hope 
to reach it. Have you ever watched the struggle 
as it goes on from month to month and year to 
year, as each little worker strives manfully in his 
vain endeavor to reach the topmost rong, up to-day 
and down to-morrow, ever on the strain to gain a 
permanent foot-hold at the summit?" 

"But a moment, if you please," I interrupted: 
'.' I notice that your Superintendent, in his last 
annual report, mentioned a number of very import- 
ant improvements; among them the erection of a 
hundred-thousand-dollar high school, with all the 
appurtenances necessary to a well-equipped institu- 
tion, such as instrumental music, military drill, 
etc." 

"Ah, the high school! 'the people's college,' in 
which ninety-four per cent, of our boys and girls 
never set their foot, and out of which only one per 
cent, of the school population ever graduate! 
Verily, the high school is marching on at the ex- 
pense of the tax-payer, at a rate that reflects the 
utmost credit upon the directorship of the metrop- 
olis of Blackwell county!" 

" Is the high school, then, not the people's col- 
lege?" I asked with a look of surprise, as my eyes 
took in the most imposing structure in Blackwell 
county. 

" Yes, it still conveys that meaning to some, and 
should ill consequence supply the various avenues 



New Era in City Schools. 191 

of the commercial and business world with those 
who are ultimately to fill its positions of trust and 
responsibility ; but the promise is not boine out by 
the facts. You see," he continued, as we leisuiely 
strolled along the main avenue, " some still enter- 
tain the idea that a system of common schools 
should be adjusted to benefit the greatest number. 
There are, as you will observe by the Superintend- 
ent's report thousand pupils in the various 

departments of our city schools : ninety-four per 
cent, of whom, as I have said, never enter the 
high school, and this large number must complete 
their education, if at all, in the lower grades." 

'' Then the grammar school — the school of the 
people — is, according to your own inference, the 
key to the business world, and should possess, only 
in a smaller degree, all the advantages to be found 
in the high schools?" 

"Yes, this should be the object and aim of our 
Board of* Education, and the public is so led to be- 
lieve ; but the results are not in harmony with the 
supposition. The average grammar school is such 
only in name, and bears no relation to the defini- 
tion of the term given by Webster. For instance," 
he went on to illustrate: "How frequently do we 
hear it said by those who have reason to know, 
that the pupils of our grammar schools are often- 
times unable to answer the simplest questions from 
a business standpoint : have little or no knowledge 
of practical book-keeping ; are unreliable in the 



192 Nicholas Coinenius. 

ordinary mathematical operations, requiring ac- 
curacy and dispatch ; poor in penmanship, and 
even more so in spelling and the proper use of 
words iu ordinary conversation. 

" Give us a dozen or more well-equipped gram- 
mar schools — not simply feeders to the high school, 
but schools of practical utility, in which a sound 
business education can be depended on by each 
boy or girl who enters them — and you at once meet 
the requirements for which the public school sys- 
tem was originally created. If the term grammar 
schools be considered too low in the educational 
scale, call them industrial schools. They will at 
once attract the hundreds of school children who 
now fall out of the primary and secondary grades 
and complete their education in the workshops or 
in other avocations of life long before their school 
days should have ended. As statistics prove that 
only five out of a hundred in all the cities in the 
land ever enter the high school, more ample pro- 
vision should be made for the great army of school 
children within the walls of well-arranged gram- 
mar schools, from which all could go forth fairly 
fitted for life's various duties. Reduce the school- 
room curriculum to the minimum ; eliminate from 
the mind of the average boy the fatal error of 
supposing that because his name happens to be 
George, he is destined to be a second George 
Washington. Economize time and direct it along 
the lines to which the child's inclination may 



New Era in City Schools. 193 

eventually turn. How much valuable time is 
wasted on certain non-essentials in the school- 
room, is little appreciated by the public at large. 

" Take for example the time wasted on the tech- 
nicalities of the subject of physiology, the school- 
boy's nightmare, and apply it to something more 
useful, practical and mind-invigorating, and how 
much happier, stronger in mind and body, and 
ready for life's battles, our young people would be. 
I wish you could see some of the examination 
papers prepared by the Superintendent, and then 
look in upon a teacher here and there, or step into 
the private study-rooms of many of our young 
pupils, during the long hours of drudgery that 
should be given to sleep and rest. I know you 
would smile at many of the questions. Here are a 
few taken from a list of several hundred prepared 
for the use of each teacher : 

" 1. What is haemogloblin, and how is it affected 
by the absence of oxygen ? 

"2. Name the proteid elements, and state how 
much nitrogen they contain. 

" 3. How does the sympathetic system influence 
the viscera and the body at large? 

"4. Define peritoneum, parenchyma, perimy- 
sium, peduncles, corpora quadrigemina, olecranon 
and microcephalitis. 

" By the way, this last term, I suppose, was 
invented to describe the condition of the author of 
the present physiology craze in our schools. These 
l 3 



194 Nicholas Comenius. 

are fair samples of the stuff crammed into our boys 
and girls at the expense of sensible facts and ideas 
that would prove of substantial benefit." 

"And do the rank and file of your teachers rest 
content under such pressure?" 

" No ; but what redress have they, except to re- 
sign, and thus give place to the hundreds who 
are yearly clamoring for positions." 

"From whom then do the teachers draw their 
inspiration?" 

" From the Superintendent, of course. He is the 
mainspring of our whole educational system. He, 
it is who lays down the course of study from month 
to month and year to year — to-day the same as yes- 
terday, and likely so to remain indefinitely. It was 
plodding along through the text-book a decade ago 
— everlasting preparation for the final examination ; 
it is the same to-day. Study accumulates upon 
study ; the child is rushed from one department to 
another with a smattering of abstract ideas, until 
there is no relation existing between the result and 
the cause which produced it. This course of in- 
struction, I presume, is based on the broad prin- 
ciple that all minds are created alike, and suscept- 
ible to the same influences which govern the 
material world. The individuality of the average 
teacher is subordinated to the perfect system that 
springs from the one over-ruling mind — the City 
Superintendent. The time may come," said he as 
he turned to leave me, "when a legislative com- 



New Era in City Schools. 195 

mission may be appointed whose direct object will 
be to rescue the thousands of overworked teachers 
and school children from a condition more detri- 
mental to health and strength than that which, for 
years, has existed in the mills and workshops of 
the land. 1 ' 

" Ah, a little old-fogyism still to be found among 
city teachers, as well as in the country," was my 
mental comment, as I took my way toward the 
leading hotel of the metropolis, in search of the 
venerable Comenius. "Yes, my young enthusi- 
astic educators, be not dismayed ; a few more years 
of active service in the ranks of the profession, and 
the place of our friend in the grammar school will 
be filled by one younger in years and more closely 
in touch with the prevailing sentiment of the 
times. His opinion may be only the expression of 
a superannuated pedagogue, disgruntled perhaps, 
and out of harmony with the modern methods, 
theories, inductions and deductions, that now con- 
trol the entire educational fabric of the common 
school system." 

Let us not part company, dear reader, but travel 
together down the path of time to the birth of the 
New System, and there, perchance, gather conso- 
lation from the discomfiture of a Jimmy McCune, or 
from the triumphant success of a Robert Rayland. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

NICHOLAS AT THE HOTEL. 

In an unpretentious sitting-room, in one of the 
leading hotels of the town, had gathered, on this 
auspicious Thanksgiving noon, a goodly number 
of young educators. Having partaken of a sump- 
tuous repast, such as this day is always sure to pro- 
vide, they were leisurely lounging before a blazing 
fire in an old-fashioned fire-place, engaged in dis- 
cussing the latest improved methods of teaching, 
when the door opened and in stepped an aged man, 
whose locks were whitened by the frosts of nearly 
eighty winters, followed by a number of young 
teachers. Silently and unobserved he moved to- 
ward the only vacant chair in the room, when he 
turned and greeted them pleasantly with, "Good 
morning, boys, and a bounteous Thanksgiving may 
you have, one and all, for your devotion to the 
great cause of popular education." Drawing his 
chair closer to the blazing fire, he continued in the 
same tone: "It's a fine teachers' meeting you're 
having, my lads, over in the old court house ; beats 
the old-timers of forty years ago, two to one." 

These remarks, from such an unexpected source, 

197 



198 Nicholas Comenius. 

naturally attracted the attention of the score or 
more of professors, who now began nudging each 
other, and casting sly glances over at their strange 
visitor. 

"Who can this 'back number 1 be — this 'hay- 
seed ' of forty years ago, who expects to find the 
educators of Blackwell county among the lads, or 
boys as he calls them ?" came the supercilious re- 
mark, in an undertone, from a young teacher who 
was in attendance at the institute for the first time 
by virtue of a provisional certificate granted at a 
rural examination. 

Encouraged by the sly nods of approval, another 
important individual made bold to ask : "A stranger 
in these parts, looking for a school?" 

"Well, no, my inquisitive young friend; not ex- 
actly a stranger looking for a school, nor a professor 
either," was the reply. " The fact is, boys," added 
he, "I've been attending these teachers' meetings 
off and on for nearly forty years, and I still have a 
good many things to learn." 

" Ha, ha, think of it, professors! A pretty speci- 
men of a back number," suggested a third, whose 
attention had been temporarily diverted from an 
essay on the relation of the young teacher to the 
teacher's profession. 

" Why bless me, he must be a walking encyclo- 
pedia, or a second edition of old Rip Van Winkle," 
remarked a short-set, pompous-looking individual, 
in well-fitting clothes which constituted his princi- 



Nicholas at the Hotel. i 99 

pal claim to notice. "Let's wake him up from 
his fifty years' sleep, and find out what he knows 
about keeping school in the old times, when the 
masters went boarding round, with Noah Webster's 
spelling-book under one arm and a birch rod under 
the other." 

The last remark created subdued merriment 
among the younger teachers, while those who had 
reached years of discretion simply listened in 
silence to this rather spicy dialogue, in which the 
advantage seemed all in favor of the young 
teachers. 

Were these young professional gentlemen mali- 
ciously inclined? Were they actuated by a spirit 
of ridicule or intentional wrong-doing? Not by 
any means. There was nothing malicious in their 
nature ; they were prompted simply by a desire for 
a little harmless amusement at the expense (as they 
supposed) of a defenseless old man. Their polite- 
ness and refinement of manners, in the presence of 
the Superintendent and the gentler sex, were un- 
exceptionable. Was the system then responsible 
for the outburst of youthful indiscretion on this 
occasion? To answer this, it may be necessary to 
recall the playground and the associations surround- 
ing the district school which they had attended as 
boys. Had they there been taught gentleness and 
kindness? Was it a cardinal principle with the 
teacher who taught the school to demand at all 
times of his pupils, whether in the school-room or 



loo Nicholas Comemus. 

on the by-way, politeness and true manliness 
toward those older than themselves — and espec- 
ially toward declining old age? 

To make the question more general, let me ask, 
is there, or is there not, a growing disrespect for 
the common civilities of life among the young lads 
of our city and district schools? How many 
teachers place the cultivation of the manners and 
morals of their pupils above that of the ordinary 
branches of the school-room curriculum? What 
can be thought of a teacher who permits his pupils 
to designate him, on the playground or on the pub- 
lic thoroughfare, with the opprobrious title of 
"Old Dad"? And yet not many years ago a re- 
spected teacher was laid to rest in one of our lead- 
ing cities, and mourned by the lads as they followed 
his remains, as " Old Dad Smith ;" and when these 
young lads, now grown into manhood, refer to his 
memory, as they occasionally do, it is always by 
that title. How many times have we walked by 
his side, and listened to the salutation, " Good 
morning, Old Dad." No particular disrespect was 
intended. He responded in the same inappro- 
priate manner, applying the nickname of the play- 
ground to each and every boy whom he chanced 
to meet. 

While it may be true as claimed, that our com- 
mon school system is the best the world lias ever 
known, conferring inestimable blessings upon rich 
and poor alike, let it not be so loudly heralded 



Nicholas at the Hotel. 201 

from the platform that all the virtues and moral 
forces are contemporaneous with the incoming of 
this new dispensation. Self-laudation of the new 
and denunciation of the old have characterized the 
writings and utterances of a large percentage of the 
"new lights." Let it not be forgotten that the 
development of character, broad and comprehensive 
in its simplicity, as exemplified in the personality 
of many an aged citizen nurtured under the foster- 
ing care of the old academic institutions, was a 
cardinal principle held as sacred as that of the 
cause itself. Is the tendency of the profession 
to-day toward the development of character, of the 
moral forces inherent in the nature of the child? 
The disposition to magnify the shortcomings of 
old-time customs, to hold the stern disciplinarian 
up to scorn and ridicule, is only equaled by the 
intense desire to hurrah for our modern system 
and to laud it from the platform as the greatest in 
human history. The only wonder would seem to 
be how the generation that grew up under the old 
conditions had sufficient self-sustaining force of 
character to inaugurate a system such as the pres- 
ent has proved to be. 

Would that we could instil into the heart of 
every young teacher a greater reverence for a type 
of old men like Nicholas Comenius, and hundreds 
of others whose names might be mentioned. His 
methods may have been of the primitive kind, 
even at times confined to the three R's and the 



202 Nicholas Comenius. 

Bible, but from the latter were indelibly impressed 
on the minds and hearts of the young many whole- 
some lessons. True, education may have been at 
times a pounding or pouring in process, rather 
than the drawing-out method in vogue to such an 
exaggerated extent at the present day — based ap- 
parently on a principle of which the only mathe- 
matical description is, that if nothing be taken 
from nothing, naught remains. However, much 
that was taught under the direction of Nicholas 
Comenius took deep root, producing some thirty, 
some sixty, and some a hundred fold. Since the 
old settlers were a God-fearing people, it is safe to 
infer that the great majority of the teachers of 
Blackwell county were imbued with the same 
spirit. Let the modern teacher then not lose sight 
of the all-important fact that the real teacher is by 
no means a modern invention, product or discov- 
ery. Many an old time-worn structure or academic 
institution, so numerous in earlier clays, yet stands 
to testify to the educational sentiment of the peo- 
ple ; and the few of their pupils who yet linger 
among us, ladies and gentlemen "of the old school," 
by their manners and character make illustrious 
the memory of their early instructors. 

But we must return to our little group in the 
hotel sitting room. Whence came this aged patri- 
arch, who has been sitting so quietly before the 
blazing fire in the midst of the little circle, as they 
humorously exchange their pleasantries at his 



Nicholas at the Hotel. 203 

expense? At last there came a pause, broken only 
by the low and measured tic-toe of the old grand- 
father's clock. In a distant part of the room sat a 
middle-aged gentleman known to some of the 
teachers as a distinguished lawyer, apparently doz- 
ing. Had he been awakened by the ticking of the 
faithful monitor that had stood for eight}' years a 
silent observer in moments of prosperity and rejoic- 
ing, as well as during the long hours of adversity ? 
Silently he arose, made his way toward the object 
of so many attempts at wit, and grasping the aged 
man by the hand, said : 

"Glad to see you, my venerable friend, this 
bright Thanksgiving noon. Taking a day off at 
the convention, eh? Why bless me, attending 
these annual meetings and associating with these 
young teachers, seems to keep old Father Time, 
with his sharpened scythe, at a pretty safe distance! 1 ' 

Then turning and facing the little circle of pro- 
fessionals, upon whose countenances were depicted 
the very depths of chagrin, he said : 

"Gentlemen, representing as you do one of the 
noblest of professions, permit me to introduce to 
one and all Nicholas Comenius, who for a quarter 
of a century was the worthy Superintendent of 
Black well county. Come, my lads, and gather 
round this 'back number,' and extend the hand of 
good-fellowship to one who during the early strug- 
gles in the cause of popular education, was the 
earnest and devoted friend of the old masters, as he 



204 Nicholas Comenius. 

has ever since been the champion of the cause rep- 
resented by the professional teacher of to-day. He 
may be a ' walking encyclopedia ' or a ' second Rip 
Van Winkle,' but you will ever find him in the 
foremost rank, battling for a broader faith." 

After a few spasmodic apologies, accompanied by 
a mortified look and a nervous shake of the hand, 
the little band of modern educators formed a circle, 
in the centre of which sat Nicholas Comenius, the 
hero of the hour. 

"Now, my venerable friend," concluded the 
gentleman, with a half-suppressed chuckle that 
brought a smile to the face of Nicholas, " since we 
have all become better acquainted, we shall call 
upon you to give these boys the story of the little 
red sandstone school-house." 

"Yes, yes, Nicholas Comenius," came a chorus 
of voices. "Call us boys, or lads, or anything 
you will, but pardon oiir youthful indiscretion." 

A moment later, Nicholas Comenius was resting 
in an easy reclining-chair that one of the young 
teachers had provided, and silence pervaded the 
room. But, it was different outdoors! The report 
of the little episode had passed from teacher to 
teacher, and soon they came crowding into the 
hotel. All could now remember the old man 
standing alone in the court-room, and the courtesy 
of the young lady who said so pleasantly: "Are 
you looking for a seat, my aged friend? Come, 
and I will give you mine." 



CHAPTER XVII. 

NICHOLAS ADDRESSES THE INSTITUTE — HIS GUARD 
OF HONOR — TEDDY DEFENDS HIS GATE. 

The court-house bell was striking for the exer- 
cises to begin when a committee, headed by the 
young Superintendent, were pressing their way 
toward the old hotel. There could be no mistak- 
ing their mission, for the name of Nicholas Come- 
nius was the only one in all that vast concourse 
that seemed at that moment to call for recognition. 
Old men, with silvery locks, pressed their way for- 
ward ; for did they not remember Nicholas Come- 
nius, when his name was a household word beloved 
by old and young? As the young Superintendent 
forced his way through the open door-way, did he 
wait for a formal introduction ? No ! But grasp- 
ing Nicholas by the hand, with moistened eye he 
atoned for the apparent rudeness displayed in refus- 
ing to honor the request that came from his legal 
friend — the same who had befriended Nicholas in 
the hour of need, taking in the situation while ap- 
parently dozing in a remote corner of the room. 
Was Nicholas permitted to tell the story of the 
olden-time dispensation to those who had gathered 

205 



Nicholas Addresses the Institute. 207 

round? This was not the place for Nicholas 
Comenius to be heard; for strong and willing 
hands tenderly lifted the old patriarch from his 
easy reclining-chair, passed through the open door- 
way and thence to the old court-room, where they 
placed him in the seat of honor, beneath the old 
flag. 

What unseen hand on this Thanksgiving day — 
this sixtieth anniversary of the adoption of the 
school system — was invisibly protecting Nicholas 
Comenius like a guardian angel ? Who was it that 
had prompted the lawyer to send the messenger 
with a note to the president of the convention ; and 
who, failing in this act of homage to his old friend, 
had arranged that the same eminent o-entleman 
should be present in the hotel sitting-room? 
Stephen Smithers had not entrusted the gate 
known as " Honest Stephen " to the charge of his 
little grandson Teddy, the lad of nine, only to en- 
joy the festivities of the institute. And Stephen 
Smithers, of all that crowded assembly, was the 
only one who had thus faithfully remembered 
Nicholas Comenius. As "one touch of nature 
makes the whole world kin," so through this in- 
tervention of Stephen the gate-keeper, hundreds 
of hearts now beat in unison with that of the aged 
father. 

As the bell ceased ringing, the audience that 
filled the court house — young men and old, ma- 
tronly women and tender-hearted maidens, awaited 



2o8 Nicholas Comenius. 

the opportunity of extending the hand of fellow- 
ship to Nicholas Comenius, the last frail span that 
yet linked the past with the present, the Old with 
the New. The effigy of justice, whose scales on 
more than one memorable occasion had trembled 
in the balance, now looked smilingly down upon 
the crowded court-room, as if to whisper, " Nicho- 
las Comenius, for sixty years thou hast been 
weighed in the balance, and never found wanting." 

In the midst of this profound silence the Super- 
intendent arose, and in a speech of deep emotion, 
as well as of stirring diction, presented Nicholas to 
the institute. Deafening applause greeted the 
patriarchal educator as he advanced to the front of 
the platform, and with a smile radiant with the 
sweetness of a hallowed life, acknowledged the 
honor that had come to him so bountifully, yet un- 
solicited. 

"I am," said Comenius, "in the presence of a 
great though unseen power, to which in years gone 
by I have done homage, and to which I still remain 
loyal, and shall while life endures. It is a long 
stretch of time, fellow teachers, a long train of 
events, a marvelous procession of deeds and lives 
and service, since the day sixty years ago when 
old Simon brought us the startling news of the 
adoption of the common school law. By all the 
memories that cluster round the system, by the 
influences which touch and move us, it is meet and 
proper at this time to consider what that system 



Nicholas Addresses the Institute. 209 

stands for, what it is to me and to you. Its history- 
is a record of solid and triumphant success, not 
only in its specific purpose of education, but in 
promoting religion and morality, education, and 
all things which go to make a people prosperous, 
contented and happy. As the acorn came from the 
bud and blossom of the old oak, can we or should 
we forget that from a Pestalozzi and Comenius 
came the light, the life and the inspiration of the 
New? Can we forget that out of the ignorance of 
the masses was sifted a trained, organized body of 
enthusiastic workers, whose self-sacrificing devo- 
tion to the cause of humanity has been felt wher- 
ever the rural school has found an abiding-place? 
Can we fail to reverence the memory of the men 
of our own state who have assured to future gene- 
rations the untold blessings of the public school ? 
Can we forget that they are of ' those immortal 
dead who live in minds made better by their pres- 
ence?' The destiny of Blackwell county has been 
confided to you in trust, my young teachers; and 
it is this responsibility, so vast and weighty, that 
you as educators will have to meet and discharge 
with fidelity. Owing to want of time, and in 
deference to the work already mapped out, I do not 
wish to address you at length ; but wishing you God 
speed in your onward course, and deeply grateful 
to you for the opportunity afforded me, I hope at 
some future time to carry you back to the birth 
and infancy of the common schools, to tell you 
14 



An Escort of Hoitor. 2 1 1 

the story of the little red sandstone school house, 
around which still cluster many fond recollections 
of my early boyhood days. ' ' 

As Nicholas ended, a profound silence rested 
upon every hearer for a moment, only to be broken 
by a wave of enthusiasm which rolled over the 
audience like the surf on the shore, and ended in a 
demonstration such as is not often seen in the old 
court house, and not likely soon to be forgotten. 
One of the teachers sprang to his feet, and making 
himself heard, said : 

" Mr. Chairman, I move a unanimous vote of 
thanks to Nicholas Comenius, a worthy and be- 
loved teacher, for his words and his presence, 
which are alike inspiring to us all." Another 
teacher added : " And that an escort of honor be 
appointed to accompany the venerable educator to 
his home in Bmden." 

This was heartily agreed to, and Nicholas left 
the room accompanied by a committee of five 
teachers and followed by the singing of " Auld 
Lang Syne," and the prayer that a life so rounded 
and beautiful might be prolonged indefinitely. 

Those who live amid the active scenes of city 
life may now and then be touched to the very 
depths of their nature by separation from old 
friends and associations ; but only those who have 
followed the rippling stream as it gushes from 
the mountain side, drank of its sparkling waters, 
climbed the mountain path, and communed with 



212 Nicholas Comenius. 

nature in all its varied forms, can measure the love 
and intensity of feeling that found expression, as 
Nicholas Comenius bade one and all a fervent 
farewell to begin his homeward journey. 

It was an ideal November noon ; the stage-coach 
stood ready to receive its guests ; the steeds were 
champing their bits, eager for the word to start ; 
all the passengers had taken their seats, with 
Nicholas Comenius occupying the place of honor. 
Young Patrick, the driver, took the reins, and 
amid joyful shouts and gay peals of laughter, the 
coach spun onward over the king's highway, 
through fertile fields, by farm-house and village, 
toward beautiful Kmden, the home of Nicholas 
Comenius. From crowded sidewalks came the 
clapping of hands and waving of kerchiefs, " God 
bless the venerable educator," and "Safe journey 
to one and all." 

"Good-bye, Stephen Smithers," shouted his 
legal friend, as the keeper of " Honest Stephen," 
astraddle of Captain Jack, followed at a safe dis- 
tance, leading Nelly the mare. 

On all sides, as far as eye could penetrate, the 
unpretentious farm-house, as well as every old 
landmark, conveyed a lesson freighted with inter- 
est to the young students. What a picture lay 
before the observing mind of Nicholas Comenius, 
so full of tradition and historic reminiscences ! 

But as they reached the dangerous cliff, known 
in years gone by as the Round Up, with night 



Stephen Nearing Home. 213 

coming on, there was one whose mind began to 
realize the grave responsibility resting upon his 
own conscience, as well as upon Teddy, his loving 
grandson. That Nicholas was returning triumph- 
ant from the scenes of his early exploits, full of 
honors, only added to the intensity of the anxiety 
that throbbed in the bosom of Stephen Smithers, 
for Teddy, alone in the old gate-honse. Had some 
mishap befallen the faithful Teddy? Had he 
been spirited away in the darkness ; or perhaps 
stricken down for the little cash the old gate- 
keeper was ever suspected of having concealed in 
some secluded nook or cranny of the old gate- 
house? Sad indeed, were the forebodings of 
Stephen Smithers as he rode along within easy 
reach of the fast-moving coach, whose occupants 
little imagined the state of mind into which he had 
fallen. However, as Stephen drew nearer and be- 
held the nickering light from the old lamp that, 
for so many years, had stood within the window of 
the lone gate-house, his doubts for the safety of the 
lad began to disappear ; and he thereupon deter- 
mined to subject him to a further test, the result 
of which would practically demonstrate to his own 
mind the effect the teachings of the early morning 
were to have on the mind of the youth. Well he 
understood the wild and rugged nature of Pat, the 
driver, ready at all times to force his way through 
every gate on the road. But was not Stephen 
Smithers within easy reach of the lad's rescue? 



214 



Nicholas Comenius. 



and were not Nicholas Comenius and the young 
students ready to defend the helpless lad? 

"Whoa!" came the burly voice of Pat, as he 
drove his four-in-hand squarely up to the closed 
gate. " Up with your pole, old man, or Pat 




TEDDY HOLDS THE FORT. 



Murphy '11 be after plunging through pole, gate- 
house and all ! " 

"Pay your dues to the gate known as 'Honest 
Stephen,' and the pole will rise to the perpendic- 



Teddy at the Gate. 2 t 5 

ular, and give you the right of way," came a voice 
that startled even this rough native of the Emerald 
Isle. 

"And who are you, my young fledgling, anyway, 
that would be after dictating to one who always 
claims the right of way over the road, gate or no 
gate?" responded Pat, flourishing his long raw-hide 
over his head. 

" Oh, no, Mr. Driver, there's jnst forty cents due 
'Honest Stephen,' and no spurious coin at that," 
came the quick reply of Teddy, who stood firmly 
at his post, with his lantern in one hand and the 
bag of change in the other. 

"And where is the old gate-keeper who's been 
entrusting the king's highwav to one of vour 

o 00-' - 

years?" came the reply of Patrick, who had failed 
to recognize the presence of Stephen Smithers. 

"Nevermind; jnst hurry along with the exact 
change," retorted Teddy, in a voice that betrayed 
neither fear nor emotion. 

"Better out with the change," suggested Come- 
nius, who had taken the precaution to supply the 
needed toll-money ; and who, at the same time, 
had received a nod of recognition from Stephen 
Smithers, who was at that moment enjoying the 
little dialogue with a good-natured chuckle. 

"Well, here, my young scalawag," replied Pat, 
drawing from his pocket a large shining coin, and 
placing it in the hand of the youth; "take this, 
and be sure to render the exact change to a far- 



2i 6 Nicholas Comenius. 

thing, or I'll be after whaling the life out of ye. 
Be quick, my young chap, and stop fumbling the 
precious coin 'twixt your fingers." 

"But its no good, Mr. Driver; only so much 
base metal, that isn't worth more than a nickel a 
pound," was the lad's rejoinder, as he handed back 
the spurious coin. 

"No good! and surely you're a chip of the old 
block! No good, eh? By the holy Saint Patrick 
it's a tender of America's money I've been after 
making ye, my young sapling, and it's through the 
gate I'll be after driving my four-in-hand, as sure 
as Pat's an American citizen," continued the now 
exasperated coachman, as he gathered the reins in 
hand, ready for a forward move. 

At this moment, and while Teddy grasped at 
the bridle of the offside hofse, came the voice of 
Stephen Smithers, as he rode up and dismounted : 
"Hold on, not a step further at the risk of your 
life!" 

The next instant the astonished driver lay at the 
feet of Stephen Smithers, begging for mercy. 

"Now rise, and beg the young lad's pardon," 
said Stephen, " and hand over the exact change to 
the penny, or there'll be one coach-driver less in 
the world to worry Honest Stephen." 

Before the others could dismount, Stephen had 
clasped the lad to his bosom, printed a kiss upon 
his forehead, and then, relieved from the anxiety 
that had been resting upon him, exclaimed: 



Teddy and Nicholas. 2 1 7 

" Teddy, my little hero, this is Nicholas Comenius, 
whom, you have never before seen. 1 ' 

" Yes, my gallant little defender of the king's 
highway," said Nicholas, as he drew the lad toward 
him, " the days may come and the days may go, old 
associations may pass away, but the world will ever 
grow better and richer with the display of such 
youthful heroism and self-sacrificing devotion. 
Who is the lad, and whence came he?" he added, 
addressing Stephen, wishing to learn the history 
of one of such tender age, and yet possessing such 
true manly character. And Stephen proudly an- 
swered, "He is my grandson." 

For hours Comenius and his little escort sat 
within the old gate-house, and there for the first 
time Nicholas learned, from the lips of Stephen 
Smithers the part the latter had so adroitly played 
in the old educator's behalf. And it ma}- here be 
said, that Teddy is now the boon companion of 
Nicholas Comenius, and that ever and anon, during 
the long vacation days, he may be found at the old 
homestead of the octogenarian, where in commu- 
nion with each other, many joyful hours are yearly 
spent beneath the venerable oak that yet stands to 
shelter the little red sandstone school-house. 



CHAPTER XVIII, 

NICHOLAS AND HIS ESCORT LOOKING BACKWARD 
INTO THE PAST. 

"IT is with feelings of pleasure mingled with 
sadness that I ask you, my young friends, to join 
me in a visit to the scenes of my early childhood," 
suggested Nicholas, as we sauntered forth from the 
old homestead on the morning following the 
Thanksgiving ever to be remembered with pleas- 
ure. After a short walk we reached the substantial 
iron bridge, beneath which flows the same familiar 
stream as in days gone by, winding its way onward 
through an undulating surface until lost in the 
wilds of Shaky Hollow. 

" The quaint wooden bridge has long since been 
swept away," musingly sighs Nicholas; "but the 
yellow pebbles that glisten in the bright sunlight 
beneath the bridge are just as of yore, and will re- 
main the same as long as we read years from the 
dial of time. But the little bubbles, as they skip 
dancingly along in quick succession beneath our 
feet as we lean over the iron column and watch 
their strange antics, glance up as if to say, ' No, we 
are not the same listless, idle fellows that playfully 
218 



Old Memories Revived. 2 1 9 

meandered along beneath the old wooden bridge 
when you, Nicholas, were a lad. Listen to the 
sound of turning wheels and revolving spindles 
farther down the stream, and you'll soon discover 
that we too have a duty to perform. No time to 
waste on idle curiosity-seekers; for the wheels of the 
new electric station away below are waiting, and 
we must be promptly on time.' And a moment 
later they seem to say : ' Good-bye, old man ;' and 
on they rush until lost in the distance, lisping the 
words of the poet : 

" ' We chatter over stony ways, 
I11 little sharps and trebles, 
We bubble into eddying bays, 
We babble on the pebbles. 

' ' ' We chatter, chatter as we flow 
To join the brimming river, 
For men may come and men may go, 
But we go on forever.' " 

A few steps to the right of the bridge stands the 
gray moss-covered church and its time-worn tomb- 
stones — lone sentinels that yet stand to perpetuate 
the deeds of noble men and women, and serve to 
awaken within us long-forgotten memories of old 
Parson Hoskins, who in years gone by dwelt within 
the ivy-covered parsonage ; of Oscar. Bently, the 
portly inn-keeper of the "General Washington," 
and of Squire Benton, who for many years dealt 
out justice and mercy in his rough way to the 
denizens of Shaky Hollow. We look in vain for 



Old Memories Revived. 2 2 1 

the old town pump as it stood in the days of our 
youth, administering to the wants of the thirsty, 
and sigh for the low thatched cottage, wherein 
dwelt a sainted mother with her little flock. 
Beyond the weather-beaten church, on what was 
once the village green, we pass an elegant and 
commodious school building of modern construc- 
tion ; but where is the little old red sandstone 
school-house to which Nicholas Comenius so often 
refers? Has it at last fallen a sacrifice to the in- 
roads of civilizing influences? No, there it stands, 
beneath the spreading branches of the venerable 
oak, where so often it has greeted the eye of 
Nicholas, returning from a long day's journey — 
the last representative of a type of old school- 
houses, once numerous, but destined soon to live 
only in tradition, or in the hearts of the few who 
still linger among men, in ripe old age. Ah, how 
impressively are we here made to feel and appreci- 
ate the lines from Whittier's "In School Days:" 

" Still sits the school -house by the road, 
A ragged beggar sunning ; 
Around it still the sumacs grow, 
And blackberry vines are running. 

"Within, the master's desk is seen, 
Deep scarred by raps official ; 
The warping floors, the battered seats, 
The jack knife's carved initial." 

"In these respective types," remarked Come- 
nius, " we behold on one side the new Emden in 



222 Nicholas Comenius. 

all the power and glory that belongs to a new era ; 
on the other we see dear old Emden, the dream of 
Paradise in onr boyhood days, with its rough- 
hewn landmarks fast vanishing from the stage of 
life, leaving us only a sweet and fragrant memory. 
Each in its turn conveys a lesson full of meaning, 
both to the young and the old. Around the 
modern house the green lawn, the silvery maple 
and the linden add their charms; bright-eyed girls 
and light-hearted boys come and go with each 
recurring morning in the enjoyment of their inno- 
cent pastimes; even the teacher, young, active and 
full of youthful aspirations, mingles in their out- 
door amusements; while within they pursue the 
even tenor of their way, unconscious of the old 
house and its early associations. If around that 
time-worn deserted structure ever lingered any en- 
dearing memories, they have either long since 
passed away, or dwell only in the fast-failing 
memory of — whom, I may well ask," continued 
Nicholas with a sigh. 

" Yes, within its bleak walls there may have 
been as loving hearts and as devoted a master in 
the days gone by; but if so, what use has this 
modern teacher either for his example or his 
methods? The old master and his traditional 
environment have no adiding-place in his memory ; 
the future alone, with its endless variety of new 
methods and possibilities, is the absorbing interest 
in his life. The old pedagogue may have been 



Old Memories Revived. 223 

what the teacher of to-day loves to designate as 
one of a long line of superannuated old-time mas- 
ters, to whose charge was. entrusted not only the 
moral and intellectual status of the entire school, 
but of the whole neighborhood as well ; or he may 
have been a second Doctor Arnold or a Christopher 
Dock — schoolmasters who were not simply masters 
of the school, but rather of the souls of their pupils, 
shining examples of that noble army of educators 
whose memory should be cherished by every 
teacher in the land. 

"Who was the last master that taught this par- 
ticular school, whence he came and whither he 
went, is of little moment to his successor. What- 
ever may have been his intellectual qualifications, 
his virtue and kindness of heart, his mental and 
moral attainments are now considered to be sym- 
bolized by the rude floor and crude furniture of the 
old house ; while his outward appearance, whatever 
it once may have been, is assumed to have been a 
counterpart of the dingy, weather-beaten walls of 
the old house without. If it were cold and unin- 
viting, he was the same; if its walls within were 
bleak and cheerless, his nature was equally so. In 
fact, the average teacher of to-day would seem to 
prefer not only to ignore the better qualities of the 
old master, but to hold him np to scorn and ridi- 
cule, and by way of extenuation assert that his 
knowledge never extended beyond the single and 
double rule of three, the spelling-book and the 



224 Nicholas Comenms. 

birch rod, that universally accepted panacea for all 
the ills and shortcomings of a boy's nature. Many 
still rejoice in the fact that with the incoming of 
the new system his light went out, as suddenly as 
though it had never existed. 

" Let us, however, my young friends," continued 
Nicholas, " call upon memory to conjure up a pic- 
ture of the ebb and flow of daily life, with all its 
shades of stern or pleasant duty, that once went on 
within the walls of this old school-house. Let the 
picture be bright enough in color and remain long 
enough before us to make an impression ; then let 
us invite the rising generation of young teachers, 
whose judgment and conceptions of the old master 
and the house in which he kept school some sixty 
years ago are so ill-founded and untenable, to step 
to our side and study its suggestive features. Let 
us reverse the dial of time, and re-enact the condi- 
tions as they existed when old Jimmy McCune was 
monarch of all he surveyed as master of the village 
school. Let us summon before us some disconso- 
late educator, who is ever longing for the better 
days when the teacher's calling shall have become 
self-sustaining; and turning his back on the cosy, 
well-equipped rural school and its manifold bless- 
ings, let him turn old-time schoolmaster for one 
short term and mark the result. 

" Ah, here you are, my old master " (turning to 
one of our number); " a little too flashy in your 
get-up to please the constituents, but a few months 



An Hour with the Past. 225 

of boarding round on your three-pen ny-a-day col- 
lections will adapt you to the changed conditions. 
Now, hurry along, old man, and lend a helping 
hand, as we proceed to restore the old house to its 
former status, in order that we may get you com- 
fortably installed before the bleak storms of winter 
set in. Come, let us make haste to repair the roof 
of the old house; reset its three scant window- 
frames with new four-by-six glass ; relay the floor 
with unhewn slabs, that the air may circulate the 
more freely among the little urchins of the school ; 
plaster up its crevices ; resurrect the ten-plate wood 
stove, with the cumbrous wood-box, axe, saw and 
saw-buck. And now, while the old desks and slab 
benches are being arranged around the wall, your 
first half-hour's experience will be devoted to wood- 
chopping over in yonder clearing; for the long 
winter days will require a goodly supply of hickory 
to keep the room in proper condition. Hurry 
along now, my old pedagogue, and get a move on, 
for the time's drawing near for the exercises to 
begin. 

. " Ah, here you are, with a pretty good armful, 
my busy man !" cries Nicholas, a half hour later, 
as the master enters the room in a stooping posi- 
tion, with disheveled hair and blistered hands. 
" The next in order is the steel and flint, and we'll 
soon have a blazing fire in the old stove, that'll 
drive away the blues in short order." 

"But the room is so dark, the walls so dreary 

15 



226 Nicholas Comenius. 

and the windows so small ! Oh, I fear I shall 
never feel at home under such conditions," comes 
the plaint of our disconsolate schoolmaster, as he 
casts his eyes upward among the unhewn rafters in 
the direction of a ray of light that comes through 
an open crevice. 

"Ah, my old master, be not dismayed at the 
very threshold of your new undertaking," sym- 
pathetically suggests Nicholas, laying a large, bony 
hand upon his shoulder; "there'll be other bless- 
ings coming along in due time that you've never 
dreamed of." 

"Yes, yes," was the rejoinder, as a ray of hope 
dawned upon him ; " the room will show off to 
much better advantage with a new set of improved 
furniture, a furnace in the cellar, and when the 
blackboard, outline maps, mottoes and pictures are 
arranged along the walls. Then a full set of 
Encyclopedia; a Webster's International Diction- 
ary ; a set of astronomical charts ; a line of geo- 
graphical and historical works ; a new library for 
the use of the pupils ; the daily newspapers and 
the magazines — and possibly an organ to help 
teach the young folks music. With these neces- 
sary appliances and the regular visitations by the 
County Superintendent, I think," he added, with a 
half-suppressed smile, " the long winter days may 
prove very pleasant and profitable indeed. Of 
course, the Board have made provision for an eight 
months' term, and draw their check promptly at 



An Hour with the Past. 227 

the end of each month ; allow for a week's attend- 
ance at the County Teachers' Institute ; provide 
for uniform free text-books, and arrange for a com- 
fortable boarding-place for the teacher within easy 
reach of the school?" came the question, as he 
proceeded to thrust a chunk of hickory into the 
old stove, rub his eyes, and watch the curling 
smoke as it circled upward along the pipe, playing 
hide and seek among the rafters above. 

"Ho, ho, my inexperienced friend," retorted 
Nicholas, as he saw him rush to the window and 
throw up the sash, that came down with a bang 
on one of his fingers: "Whence came you and 
whither are you drifting? Who, among the good 
people of Emden district, ever heard of a County 
Superintendent, or an outline map? Stop your 
dreaming, old man, and prepare to meet the wild 
lads who are already pushing their way toward the 
door of the school-house." 

A moment later, with a tramp, tramp, comes a 
troop of youngsters of all ages and sizes, crowding 
and pushing their way with raw-hide boots and 
shoes, on and over the tops of desks, in search of 
a peg whereon to hang their dinner baskets, hats 
and bonnets. Order being restored, the arrange- 
ment of classes begins and an account of stock is 
taken. But what a conglomeration of text-books ! 
— a dozen Spellers of various names and of as many 
different editions ; an equal number of Arithmetics, 
from Pike's and Rose's down to Emerson's Part III; 



228 Nicholas Comenius. 

a rnultiplity of editions of the Bible. A few sheets 
of rough paper constitute the only writing material, 
with ink of various concoctions in bottles of every 
imaginable shape. Up rushes one to have his 
quill sharpened or mended, while another steps 
forward to recite his lesson alone ; a third is using 
his jack-knife to advantage on the desk before him, 
while a fourth is initiating the new master into the 
conditions in vogue by closing up the chimney, 
thus filling the room with a cloud of smoke so 
dense as to eliminate the few rays of sunlight that 
had found their way through the dismal windows. 
The master raps and thunders for order : but the 
louder he raps the more unruly the school be- 
comes ; then he tenderly appeals to their young 
manhood, gives them a lesson in moral suasion, 
reads them a story in the life of George Washing- 
ton, prays and beseeches them to preserve order for 
the good of the school. In the midst of this con- 
fusion in steps the President of the Board, looks 
the master over, and says : " It's a pretty good be- 
ginning you're making ;" but with that the bedlam 
of sounds recommences : paper wads and all sorts 
of missiles are hurled at his head ; a raw-hide boot 
is extended here or there over which he lands 
sprawling on the floor, at the very feet of the 
worthy President. When he rises, he appeals for 
support and friendly advice in his dire dilemma, 
but is met with the retort : " Flog 'em ! flail 'em ! 
The master who isn't good on his muscle had better 



An Hour with the Past. 229 

skip this neighborhood. Wade in, old man, and 
give the ringleaders a good trouncing, and it'll be 
a feather in your cap with the trustees ! No use 
trying to keep school unless you're good on a 
tussle." The next instant the entire school's in 
confusion, and with a hurrah they land the master 
hatless and coatless in the playground without — 

"Wake up, young man, for it's only a trance 
into which you have fallen ! Want to linger 
longer among the environments of the old house?" 
added Nicholas. u No? Then follow me!" 



CHAPTER XIX. 

NICODEMUS THE ACADEMICIAN — THE FREE SCHOOL 
FIGHT — GIANTS OF THOSE DAYS. 

Passing beyond the confines of the last remnant 
of bygone days, the old school-house, we were 
startled by a voice from beyond the majestic oak : 

"A bright, crisp November morning, Nicholas, 
my old friend." 

"Why," retorted Nicholas, "how do you do, 
Nicodemus ? Allow me to introduce to you these 
young professional gentlemen, whom the institute 
very kindly appointed as my escort of honor." 
Then turning, he added, "My young friends, this 
is the venerable Alonzo Nicodemus, the worthy 
president of the Collegiate Institute of Bmden 
town." 

" Glad to meet you ; yes, always glad to welcome 
a committee of strangers to Emden soil. It speaks 
well for the town, and is liable at almost any mo- 
ment to start a financial boom — something most 
devoutly to be wished for," said Nicodemus, as he 
grasped each by the hand. Then, with a change 
of attitude, he continued : " Maybe you're about 
purchasing a farm, or may be you're after investing 
230 



Nicodemus the Academician. 231 

your hard cash in a financial enterprise? Plenty 
of eligible corner lots still lying around, waiting 
for an honest investor, who isn't afraid to risk a 
dollar in a growing town." 

We assured him, in as few words as possible, 
that the object of our visit had no financial signi- 
ficance. 

" Ah, ha, I see, I see ; a local historian, then, 
bent on writing a history of Hmden school district. 
Well, well, who would have thought it? It's a 
mighty fertile field, boys, you've struck; richer 
than a gold mine that's never been worked! All 
that's necessary is to jot down all the facts old 
Nicholas Comenius has stored away in his memory, 
and it'll create a sensation, sure as you live ; for 
there isn't another place in America where the 
new school system's had a harder road to travel 
than right over among the constituents of Shaky 
Hollow. While I'm bearing the new system no ill 
will, my young friends, I'm not more than half 
reconciled to the havoc it's played with the old 
academic institutions all over the country. The 
truth is, according to my notions, the new system, 
that started out all right in the beginning, hasn't 
been making a very creditable showing of late 
years. Since the State's been supplying most of 
the cash, that's been squeezed out of the taxpay- 
ers unbeknown to them, it appears to Nicodemus 
that there's too much show and expenditure for 
the practical results obtained. Of course the con- 



232 Nicholas Comenius. 

stituents aren't saying very much, but they're 
doing a mighty sight of thinking in a quiet way. 

"What the public want, and what Nicholas 
Comenius is able to give," continued Nicodemus, 
as he stroked his long white beard, " is a history 
that'll give the poor old masters, now dead and 
gone, their proper place before the young educators 
of the country. The fact is, the young masters 
have been having a monopoly of the history busi- 
ness ; for there hasn't been a teachers' meeting for 
the last twenty years from which the young chaps 
haven't gone away feeling that they knew more 
than even Pestalozzi or John Amos Comenius did 
in their day. It don't seem more than half right, 
my boys, that the old masters, who invented the 
machine and set it in motion, should be forgotten, 
while the young professors who are now running it 
under high pressure should have all the glory. 
No offense, I hope ; only giving you a few thoughts 
that have been weighing upon my mind for quite a 
season," concluded Nicodemus, as he turned to 
depart. 

" One of the old-timers," we suggested, as Nico- 
demus passed through a cluster of maples and en- 
tered an antiquated sandstone structure, with four 
gables and gray limestone trimmings. 

"Yes," answered Nicholas, "one of the conserva- 
tives, full of reminiscences of bygone days, and a 
little given to old fogyism. You see," he con- 
tinued, as his voice grew stronger and his step 



The Free School Fight. 233 

more elastic, " disappointments, if they come singly 
and during early life, may in time be forgotten or 
healed over; but if they come too late or too often, 
they at last embitter our whole nature. There was 
a time, my young friends, some sixty years ago, 
when yonder old Seminary building was among 
the most pretentious of its class in the Common- 
wealth. Like hundreds of others, its promoters, at 
the time the common school system was inaugu- 
rated, instead of giving encouragement to the cause 
of universal education, either stood aloof or joined 
the army of dissenters. Liberally endowed as 
many of these worthy institutions were by private 
bequests, they believed they could afford to bid de- 
fiance to a system of schools that were to be the 
common heritage of all, supported by the strong 
arm of the State. Experience has shown their 
mistake. 

" It is an historical fact, although not generally 
remembered, that the four years from 1834 to 
1838 were the most eventful in the annals of school 
legislation in Pennsylvania. It is true the story 
has been often told in connection with other polit- 
ical events, but it still remains for some modern 
educator to gather and present the facts from the 
standpoint of our day, as an inspiration to the ris- 
ing generation. 

"Yes, my young friends," continued Comenius, 
as we stood facing the old Seminary building, 
"how many of the rank and file of Pennsylvania's 



234 Nicholas Comenius. 

army of teachers can intelligently portray to those 
under their charge the stirring events in the balls 
of legislation during those four memorable years 
away back in the thirties ? They are familiar with 
the pages of American history from the landing of 
Columbus down to the present day; even the names 
of the three little ships of the daring old mariner 
of four hundred years ago, when he set sail from 
Palos, are daily being impressed upon the youthful 
mind. The names of distinguished Pennsylva- 
nians, from William Penn down to the men of our 
own day, embellish the pages of the school history; 
but how many know the names and services of 
George Wolf, Joseph Ritner, Thaddeus Stevens and 
Thomas H. Burrowes, that quaternion of Pennsyl- 
vania's noblest names, which are too often passed 
over with only the slightest reference ? Which of 
our modern school Readers contains an extract 
from the great speech of Stevens, delivered in the 
House of Representatives in 1835 ? How many 
of our teachers are sufficiently informed on these 
points to have imbibed the spirit of these great 
educators of the past generation, so that they can 
picture to the next the incalculable blessings that 
we have reaped through those men's efforts in 
behalf of the organization and the preservation of 
the common school system ? True, the initfal step 
has lately been taken, as it should be, by the State 
Teachers' Association, whose committee, with the 
liberal-minded McCaskey at its head, has placed a 



The Free School Fight. 235 

life-size picture of Burrowes in nearly every school 
in the Commonwealth. 

"Ah," continued Nicholas — pointing to a slab 
directly over the doorway on which was engraved, 
Erected in 1790 — "it was in that year that 
the Constitution of Pennsylvania was adopted. 
Strange as it may seem, from the time of the first 
Governor, Thomas Mifflin, down to the year in 
which the new system was inaugurated, each of 
the seven Executives in his message to the Legisla- 
ture made some reference to a system of schools for 
the education of the masses at the public expense. 
Men of all shades of political opinion had studied 
the question in the abstract, with the hope that the 
time might come sooner or later when the sons 
and daughters of every Pennsylvanian, whether of 
high or low degree, might enjoy a perfect equality 
in educational privileges. 

" It was during the campaign of George Wolf, in 
1829, if I remember correctly," said Comenius, as 
we moved away from the old Seminary, " that 
James Buchanan, in a public speech, uttered these 
remarkable words : ' If ever the passions of men 
could be excused in a man ambitious of true glory, 
he might almost be justified in envying the fame 
of that favored individual whom Providence in- 
tends to make the instrument in establishing com- 
mon schools throughout the Commonwealth. Ages 
yet unborn and nations yet behind shall bless his 
memory.' 



2.^6 



Nicholas Comenius. 



Little did Mr Buchanan think that within five 
short years, plain George Wolf, of Northampton 
county, would be that favored individual whom 
Providence had ordained to subscribe his signature 
to a law that was to be a blessing to generations 




GOV. GEORGE WOLF. 



yet unborn. But, though the Rubicon was passed, 
it was merely the first skirmish in the great battle. 
"To pass the act creating the new system was a 
victory over which the friends of education might 
well rejoice ; but to put it into successful operation 



The Free School Fight. 237 

among a people many of whom believed that edu- 
cation was not only useless but dangerous, was 
quite another question. Cumbrous and unwieldy, 
it served but to stir up the deepest feeling of oppo- 
sition in all parts of the Commonwealth. Though 
the education of the people was enjoined by the 
constitution as a solemn duty which could not be 
neglected without disregard of the moral and polit- 
ical safety of the people, the principle was contrary 
to the traditions and beliefs of more than one-half 
the people of the State. 

" There was one saving provision of the act, 
however, that prevented what otherwise might 
have resulted in anarchy or revolution. The bill 
provided ' that when any township or district in 
any school division votes in the negative on the 
question of accepting this law, said township or 
district shall not be compelled to accept the same.' 
This mild provision, which was strictly in con- 
formity with the constitution and the theory of 
free government, threw the responsibility of accept- 
ing or rejecting the system directly upon the peo- 
ple of the various districts, to be decided at a 
special election, the result of which was that in 
nearly half the districts the system was rejected by 
large majorities. 

" It was to the incoming Legislature, that of 
1835, that the people anxiously looked forward. 
The system, it was argued, had been tried and 
found wanting. In the Senate a proposition for 



238 



Nicholas Comenius. 



repeal was adopted, and the Act of 1809 — that for 
educating the poor gratis — substituted. From the 
Senate the resolution went to the House, among 
whose members the sentiment in favor of the repeal 
of the ' iniquitous ' free school system was even 




THADDEUS STEVENS. 



more pronounced, as many of them, like the Sen- 
ators, had been elected on a strictly free school issue. 
" The battle opened with the forces of the oppo- 
sition jubilant and expectant. On one side of the 
House sat young Thaddeus Stevens, surrounded 



The Free School Fight. 239 

by a few faithful adherents, calm and self-reliant. 
When the critical moment came, he took his posi- 
tion in the broad middle aisle facing the speaker's 
desk. Wrought up to a pitch of intense excite- 
ment, he there delivered the greatest speech of his 
life. It was in the closing sentences, so full of 
inspiration, that he uttered that startling and 
majestic declaration : ' I shall place myself unhesi- 
tatingly in the ranks of him whose banner streams 
in light? 

" At the conclusion, the House broke into the 
wildest excitement of delight. The magical sen- 
tence was caught up and passed from lip to lip. 
Before the vote was taken it was felt that the 
Senate bill was beaten, and the system, even in its 
crude form, respited at least for another year. 
A moment later the good news had prevaded every 
department of State, to be transmitted by friend 
and foe to every portion of the Commonwealth, 
with congratulation on the one hand and denunci- 
ation on the other. When Stevens entered the 
Executive Chamber, in response to an invitation, 
Governor Wolf threw his arms around the neck of 
his old political enemy and with broken voice and 
tearful eyes thanked him for the great service he 
had rendered the cause of humanity. 

"Thus, my young friends," said Comenius, 
" ends the first chapter in the history of a struggle 
for free schools, that should be indelibly engraved 
upon the minds and hearts of young and old. At 



240 Nicholas Comenius. 

the following session of the Legislature, that of 
1836, the battle was renewed under somewhat 
altered conditions. Governor Wolf had been de- 
feated, and Joseph Ritner installed as his successor, 
with Thomas H. Burrowes as Secretary of State. 




t 

GOV. JOSEPH RITNER. 

For a time the firmest friends of the cause stood in 
doubt, hoping that the much-abused system might 
find in the newly-elected Governor and his official 
adviser friends instead of foes. 

" To the surprise of the most ardent advocates 



The Free School Fight. 241 

of the system, as well as to the astonishment and 
indignation of its enemies, Burrowes had prepared, 
before trie meeting of the Legislature, a new bill, 
eliminating many of the undesirable features of the 
Act of 1834, and embodying such important addi- 
tions as the most careful observation and investi- 
gation could suggest. After a contest such as has 
never been equaled in school legislation, this act 
passed both houses of the Legislature. 

" It was now, as many predicted, to meet its 
doom at the hands of the new Governor, Joseph 
Ritner, the descendant of a long line of Dutch 
ancestors. For Ritner, a native of ' Old Berks,' 
and a self-made man, rising from obscurity by the 
force of his own high qualities to the position of 
Chief Magistrate, to fasten upon his unwilling 
constituency a measure as iniquitous as the com- 
mon school system was pictured to be, was counted 
as scarcely within the range of possibility. But it 
was not the nature of Ritner to allow a victory 
achieved under such trying circumstances to be 
lost to a free Commonwealth. His own early trials 
and discouragements, his lack of opportunity to 
press forward in the field of activity as a struggling 
youth, had implanted within his strong nature a 
desire to open to others an easier road to that 
knowledge which came to him only under the 
most unfavorable circumstances. 

"To attest the old Governor's undying love for 
the free school system, it may be only necessary to 
16 



242 



Nicholas Comenius. 



add," continued Comenius, "that at the age of 
eighty-three, Joseph Ritner was appointed, in the 
year 1861, by his old friend Thomas H. Burrowes, 
then Superintendent of Schools, as one of the in- 
spectors of the Edinboro Normal School. To be 




4#« 1 




THOMAS H. BURROWES. 



present at its dedication he traveled over five 
hundred miles by rail and stage. Joseph Ritner 
deserves that his portrait be displayed with that of 
Burrowes in every school-house in Pennsylvania. 
" But if at that early day the action of Governor 



The Free School Fight, 243 

Ritner and his enthusiastic Secretary of State, in 
the enforcement of the new law, was considered 
an arbitrary assumption of authority, twenty years 
later it was looked upon as a righteous act in com- 
parison with the passage and enforcement of the 
law creating the office of County Superintendent 
of schools. In the eyes of many this legislative 
act was equaled only by the Boston Stamp Act of 
1765. Protest after protest was hurled at the De- 
partment of State, from all parts of the Common- 
wealth. Many were outspoken in their wrath, 
claiming that the law had inflicted a fatal stab 
upon their cherished rights, and that religious lib- 
erty was a thing of the past in free America. 

"And yet with the passage of this most benefi- 
cient law creating county supervision, which super- 
seded the ' squire and committeemen,' came the 
long line of modern methods, theories and school- 
room appliances. The black-boards, outline maps, 
works on teaching, made their way into the school 
on every side. Pike's Arithmetic, Cobb's Spell- 
ing-book and the old English Reader fell by the 
wayside. In this evolution, more radical in its 
scope than the inauguration of the system itself, 
the log school house, the slab benches and the rod, 
as well as the conservative schoolmaster, disap- 
peared, and the school-boy's millennium, like a 
bright ray of hope, dawned in the midst of the 
surrounding gloom. " 

It is through this early period, embraced 



244 Nicholas Comenius. 

between the years '34 and '54, when people began 
to see the immense power exercised by educa- 
tion over moral, intellectual and physical condi- 
tions, and found in it, when properly conducted, 
the surest guarantee against individual vices and 
political corruption, that I would ask the reader to 
follow Nicholas Comenius, the aged historian. It 
is to this history of the schools of Blackwell 
county, hitherto largely enveloped in tradition, 
and transmitted, like many a fairy tale, from 
ancestor to posterity, that the succeeding pages 
will be largely devoted. The following picture of 
the first examination, of which Nicholas Comenius 
was an interested eye-witness, may be somewhat 
highly colored, but in the main it reflects the con- 
ditions as they existed in many parts of Pennsyl- 
vania nearly two generations ago. 



CHAPTER XX. 

OPPOSITION TO THE SYSTEM — IMPROVED ELECTION 
METHOD — THE SQUIRE AND THE OLD MASTERS. 

"Has Nicholas Comenius forgotten the first 
attempt to force the new system upon the people 
of Emden district? No; but it's a long story, that 
has never been told, and it's been a long time ago, 
and did more to disturb the peace of the old town 
than the running of the first locomotive through 
Blackwell county. You see, my young friend, 
while the taxpayers had been hearing of its opera- 
tions in other sections of the State, many of them 
had made up their minds, from the first day the 
law was passed, that the old way of educating 
their children suited them better than the new. 
And so when an effort was made to put the new 
system in operation, they declared at a mass meet- 
ing, by a series of resolutions, that they didn't 
want outsiders to be forcing any of their pernicious 
doctrines upon the people of Emden district. But 
it didn't end there; for the masters, who were 
set in their ways, got to arguing that the adoption 
of the new system meant the loss of their occupa- 
tion — and in this they wern't very far out of the 
way," suggested Nicholas. 

245 



246 Nicholas Comenius. 

"But the worst opposition came from Old 
Parson Hoskins, who kept preaching against the 
new law, and telling his congregation that as the 
world was coming to an end before long anyway, 
they'd better keep their hands off the wicked State 
system, otherwise they'd be sure to be left behind 
when Ascension day came around. Yes, it was the 
spiritual advice of the old minister that settled the 
system for a time; and if it hadn't been for the 
cunning and ingenuity of old Squire Benton, poor 
old Jimmy McCune, the master, wouldn't have 
died of a broken heart long before his time, and 
old Jeremiah wouldn't have spent the last years of 
his life in the workhouse on account of the loss of 
his calling. 

"Now it came about in a rather peculiar way, 
and while it mayn't be very creditable to the 
memory of Squire Benton, who has long since 
passed beyond the river, from whence no old 
Squire ever returns, still it's part of the record, and 
it isn't Nicholas Comenius that's going to suppress 
any of the unwritten facts that belong to the early 
history of Emden district. While the Squire at 
first caught the constituents napping, the law- 
makers, inspired by young Thaddeus Stevens, 
were too smart for even Squire Benton, as you'll 
soon discover. 

"It was on a rainy day along about Christinas, 
that the Squire and Ebenezer Lukins, President 
of the Board, put their heads together in the back 



Opposition to the System. 247 

office and began to tackle the provisions of the 
new law. When they had given it a pretty careful 
examination, the squire went into the next room 
to meditate, as was his custom, and when he came 
out he said, 'It's all right, and a tolerably fair 
state paper for a lot of legislators to pass. So I 
guess we'll give it a chance, as it don't differ in 
any particular from the old, except in raising 
money from the taxes to pay the masters, instead 
of letting the little ones pay by the day as before — 
a mighty uncertain way of keeping school at best.' 
Then holding the bill before him, and pointing 
with his long finger, he said: 'See; it don't con- 
template any new teachers, or new books, or new 
school-houses, and in no way interferes with the 
masters' boarding around. Best of all,' said he, 
with a smile and a sly wink of his left eye, ' it 
leaves the examining in the hands of the Squire, 
which is very right and proper, and protects the 
old masters as before.' 

"But the constituents who didn't have any 
youngsters of their own to educate, shook their 
heads and declared they wouldn't pay taxes to 
educate other people's children ; and so when elec- 
tion day came round they voted down the system 
by a large majority. This was more than the 
Squire had counted on, and so the very next year 
he started through the district on an electioneering 
tour; but with all his argument and persuasion 
the result was the same. 



248 Nicholas Comenius. 

"Now while old Orlando Hoskins was congratu- 
lating the members of his flock, and while the 
constituents were rejoicing over the defeat of the 
new system, the Squire was planning and studying, 
so that by the time the next election day came 
around he had invented a scheme which brought 
the answer, with a big lot of votes that he didn't 
have any use for. It was the Squire's own inven- 
tion, and for years he kept right along selling out 
his patent to other districts that had the intelli- 
gence to understand how to work it. 

"You see, the squire handled all the tickets, as 
was his custom, and the day before the election he 
wrote the word ' School ' with jet black ink on 
each ticket; then he took a fresh quill, moistened 
it with saliva and wrote the word ' No ' in large 
letters right before the word School; and when he 
emptied the sand on it, there was the ticket with 
No School so plain that anybody could read it 
without spectacles. Next morning bright and 
early the Squire planted himself right at the place 
where the voting was going on, and as each con- 
stituent came up he got a ticket, and when he 
looked at it and saw the words No School, he 
smiled, nodded his head, and in it went. When 
the election was over and the counting began, the 
Squire carefully rubbed each ticket between his 
fingers, and then handed it over to the election 
clerks, who recorded it on the tally sheets, which 
they signed and turned over to the Squire, who 



Improved Election Method. 249 

proclaimed the system adopted by nearly every 
vote. 

When the news became known over the district 
that the majority of the constituents had voted for 
the new system, there was more commotion than 
ever was seen at a first-class county fair. Bright 
and early the morning following election, crowds 
of angry tax-payers from Shaky Hollow, headed 
by Parson Hoskins, began to gather around the 
Squire's office, examining the returns and clamor- 
ing to see the tickets; but there they were, with 
only the world 'School,' and no mistaking it. 
Legal proceedings were at last instituted against 
the election clerks for tampering with the votes; 
but they were acquitted of course, because no one 
could see through the new scheme the Squire had 
invented for running the school election. To their 
dying day many believed and said that old Squire 
Benton knew more about the returns than he was 
willing to disclose, and that old Satan himself was 
at the head of the new system. But Squire Benton 
only smiled, and kept the secret locked up in his 
bosom. 

"Rather a doubtful statement, think you, my 
young friends?" queried Nicholas, as he noticed 
a look of surprise on some of our countenances. 
"True, every word; and while it could not be de- 
fended on the principles of honor and justice, it was 
in those early days considered simply as a means to 
an end. You see, the system had become part of 



250 Nicholas Comenius. 

the law of the Commonwealth, and to enforce its 
provisions was considered a sacred duty on the part 
of the progressives, while the conservatives were 
equally sincere in their opposition, believing it to 
be their religious duty to oppose it by every means 
within their power. With them, to spend time 
over books was worse than so much waste; for they 
believed that every able-bodied person, old or 
young, was in duty bound to employ his time in 
useful manual labor. On the other hand, with 
Justice Benton it was simply a matter of political 
expediency, as a better acquaintance with the 
Squire will ultimately show. 

"For a long time the new system kept moving 
along pretty much in the old way, with little im- 
provement, either in the line of new methods, 
school appliances or new school buildings," con- 
tinued Nicholas, as we returned to the old- 
fashioned sitting-room of his home. "As Squire 
Benton held the enviable position of examiner 
under the old system, so he was equally fortunate 
in holding the same position for nearly a score of 
years under the new. For over two decades, as 
shown by the records, no vacancy, through death 
or resignation, had been known to occur in any of 
the schools of Emden district. In fact, the eight 
old masters were as much a part of the system as 
the Squire himself. With these old-timers, it was 
not a question of the survival of the fittest, but 
rather one of physical endurance. In due course 



The Squire and the Old Masters. 2 5 1 

of time, however, through a most important legis- 
lative enactment, a radical change swept over 
Blackwell county, not unlike a cyclone over the 
prairie; and within a few years thereafter the eight 
old schoolmasters, like hundreds of others, fell by 
the wayside, one after the other, to be followed in 
time by the aged Squire. 

" It was during the month of May in the year 
1854, that the first Directors' convention was held 
in the old court house. Fortunately or unfortu- 
nately, a young New England Normal school 
graduate, with ideas far in advance of the educa- 
tional sentiment of the times, was elected County 
Superintendent of Blackwell county. It was the 
day after the election took place, if I remember 
correctly," continued Nicholas, casting his eye in 
the direction of the old school-house, "that 
Jimmy, the master of the village school, with the 
seven other old masters, was summoned to Squire 
Benton's office to hear the news. 

" 'For more than thirty years, my worthy co- 
workers,' exclaimed the Squire, with a doleful 
shake of the head, ' it has been my pleasure to 
extend the hand of good-fellowship to one and all 
of you. At each annual examination held in this 
office, your character and educational standing 
have never been questioned. But now your liber- 
ties and the rights of the honorable School Board 
of Emden district are to be trampled in the dust 
by the iron heel of oppression. Are we, as free- 



252 Nicholas Comenius. 

men, to stand idly by without seeking to be 
avenged 011 this presumptuous tyrant who pro- 
poses to usurp the rights of every examining 
committee in Blackwell county? The day has 
been set apart for you, the conscientious school- 
masters of Emden district, to meet this official and 
undergo an examination in all the new-fangled 
branches that the new system has invented. Are 
you, my old friends, prepared to enter into compe- 
tition with perhaps an equal number of dandified 
professors, who are ready to flock into the district 
from distant Normal schools? Are you prepared 
to meet this young professional tyrant? You have 
my sympathy, old men, and when the fatal hour 
comes round, you shall have Squire Benton's en- 
couragement and support. ' 

u 'We'll bar the door and smoke him out,' came 
the reply from Patrick McDeever, the master of 
Shaky Hollow school. 

" ' Oh, that will never do,' retorted the Squire. 
1 A justice of the peace is bound to maintain the 
law. It's the Squire that'll be on hand with a 
pointer or two, my faithful old friends. Yes, yes, 
keep a sharp eye on Squire Benton for a shake of 
the head or a sly wink of his left eye. And now, 
my old schoolmasters, as there's no time to be lost, 
it might be well to be looking up the old text- 
books, so that you won't be caught napping.' 

"At the conclusion of the Squire's address, the 
eight old masters arose from the long bench and 



The Squire and the Old Masters. 253 

passed, one after another, out into a world that 
seemed suddenly to have grown colder. 

"Now, my young friends," continued Nicholas, 
"the Squire, it must be remembered, was the most 
important public functionary in Blackwell county. 
In law and politics he stood preeminently without 
a rival, as all were ready to admit who, on more 
than one momentous occasion, had heard him ad- 
dressing his constituents on the political issues of 
the day. But it was before the School Board that 
the Squire always appeared at his best. His dress 
on these occasions, which corresponded with that 
worn by the gentry of pre-Revolutionary times, 
was out of all comparison with the plain home- 
spun worn by many of the sturdy tillers of the soil. 
His stylish beaver gave to his stout and stubby 
form dignity and grace; his breeches were of the 
finest sheep-skin; his coat, with large cuffs, wide 
skirt, lined and stiffened with buckram, and 
wadded almost like a coverlet to keep it smooth, 
contrasted favorably with his plaited neck-stock, 
with its large silver buckle. This ornament kept 
his shoulders in close relation with his cranium, in 
which was stored all the knowledge and wisdom 
of Emden district. Yes, yes, the old Squire was 
generous to a fault, was kind and accommodating, 
and when election day came round, the boys always 
got the benefit of his advice, while he gathered in 
the votes to suit his own convenience — a pretty 
even exchange," laughed our genial narrator. 



254 Nicholas Comenius. 

" If any dispute arose among the constituents of 
the district, he settled it to the satisfaction of all. 
They didn't go lawing as nowadays, but trusted 
their little differences to Squire Benton, and when 
he gave his decision, there was no appealing to a 
higher court. After each important election he'd 
start for the old court house to meet the Board of 
Return Judges, with the returns securely stored 
away in the inside pocket of his great-coat. 
Whether the Squire was early or late made little 
difference, as the result could always be estimated 
within a vote or two. You see, my young friends," 
said Nicholas, "few of the leading politicians of 
Blackwell county, in those days, possessed this in- 
tuitive knowledge to a greater degree than Thomas 
Benton. Indeed, it often became necessary on the 
very eve of an important election for the Squire to 
reverse himself — in other words, to advocate the 
very measures he had been opposing just before. 
You see, the Squire bore the same relation to the 
political world that Parson Hoskins bore to the 
spiritual; so that with the Squire on the one hand 
and the Parson on the other, there was little possi- 
bility of any portion of the community going far 
astray. 

" And as the Squire managed the politics of the 
district, so he managed the schools," continued 
Nicholas, getting back to the thread of his story. 
"He always kept a sharp eye on the eight old 
masters, but made them feel that he was their 



The Squire and the Old Masters. 255 

friend. The day before his annual examination he 
would summon them all before him. There on 
his broad-topped desk were arranged dozens of vol- 
umes, bearing on almost every conceivable sub- 
ject. Then, with all the dignity at his command, 
he proceeded to address them, by way of impress- 
ing them with what they might be expected to 
meet on the day following: 'Another year has 
gone by, my faithful educators,' he would say, 
'and another examination day is near at hand! 
Hope you've all .been improving your time, and 
that you'll be ready to toe the mark by high noon 
to-morrow ! You see, my old friends, a full line 
of applications has been pouring in on the Justice 
from a class of young Normal school graduates 
from over the State line. They all seem anxious 
to serve your constituents, and claim to be prepared 
to stand a most thorough examination in all the 
latest improved text-books, many samples of which 
are before me, and to which I have been giving 
most careful consideration. These are stirring 
times, Timothy, (whom I see dozing before me,) 
and it behooves one and all to be on the lookout 
for new and advanced ideas. ' 

"A general stiffening up took place all along the 
line, when, directing special attention to certain 
letters before him, he'd add : ' Here's an import- 
ant official communication from the Secretary of 
State, calling the Squire's attention to one or two 
new branches that have but recently been added to 



256 -Nicholas Comenius. 

the school room curriculum — a newly invented 
term, by the way — any one of you able to spell it, 
eh?' And so the word goes the round until it 
reaches Gad Day, the walking encyclopedia of 
Shaky Mountain, who manages to spell it correctly. 

" ' Now it may be necessary for the examiner to 
reach out along new lines of advanced thought. 
Here for instance is a new work on United States 
History, telling all about the war between this 
grand old country and Mexico, a subject that's 
been agitating Congress and old Zachary Taylor 
for quite a spell : and here's a Geography and Atlas 
— two works in one, or rather one for the master 
and the other for the youngsters, if my understand- 
ing of the two volumes is correct ; but as the time's 
not yet ripe for the study of Geography, it had 
better be laid aside with the History until you 
have a call for it from the constituents. 

" ' Here is, however, a very important pamphlet, 
calling attention to some recent inventions, called 
globes, outline maps, black-boards, charts, and a 
treatise on a new system for keeping school with- 
out the use of the shillalah, entitled Moral Suasion; 
and another, on Theory of Teaching. These latter 
subjects, men, have been puzzling the brain of the 
Squire more than a district election. Seems im- 
possible to get the hang of the new-fangled 
schemes ! I've been writing the author of this 
treatise, as he calls it, for information, and here's 
his reply : "Moral Suasion," he writes, "presup- 



The Squire and the Old Masters. 257 

poses the governing a school from the higher 
standpoint of the moral attributes of the ideality 
of the teacher, when brought into the closest rela- 
tionship with the inner nature of the child." And 
that Theory of Teaching also presupposes the 
teacher to be so thoroughly conversant with the 
subject-matter to be imparted as to enable him, to 
a dead moral certainty, to instil into the minds of 
a half hundred youngsters the essentials of a prac- 
tical business education, while they are skylarking 
around through Emden district. But how these 
newly-invented subjects relate to keeping school in 
the old way, this court is unable to decide. Of 
course, men, these are only a few of the recent dis- 
coveries that are yearly working their way down 
from the Yankee States, through the book ped- 
lars, who've been remembering the Squire with 
numerous samples of late.' 

"Then, pushing the letters aside, with a sudden 
change of attitude as well as of voice, he'd turn 
first to old Patrick McDeever, the master of Shaky 
Hollow school, and with a broad smile upon his 
face exclaim: 'How does Squire Benton stand, 
anyway, among the constituents of Shaky Hollow? 
Any considerable opposition to his re-election as 
Justice for his fifth term? As popular as ever, 
eh? Well, mighty glad to hear it, Pat, my honest 
old schoolmaster. And over along Sassafras Ridge, 
Timothy O'Neal? Any falling from grace in that 
neck o' woods, my good man? No? Ah! such 
17 



258 Nicholas Comenius. 

flattering compliments speak well for honest, 
faithful, conscientious service, and reflect the ut- 
most credit on your observing faculties as an edu- 
cator! But over along the charcoal beds, Dennis? 
What are the chances for the Squire among those 
dusky charcoal-burners?' 'And by my faith,' 
replied Dennis, 'there isn't a dissenting voice, 
and neither will there be a dissenting vote, for its 
Dennis O'Reilly that's judge of the election board, 
begorra! It's Squire Benton first, last and all the 
time — 'tis for a fact! ' 

'"Ha, ha, glad to know the sentiment of my 
constituency,' laughed the squire, as he grasped 
each man by the hand. 'It's public sentiment, 
men, that controls public affairs, and it's public 
sentiment that governs the schools of Emden dis- 
trict. Now, my faithful old schoolmasters, it isn't 
the Squire that's going to depart from the usual 
procedure of the examination, with his own elec- 
tion hanging in the balance. It's Squire Benton 
who's been watching your operations in the school 
room; and it's the Squire that's been observing 
the movement of your minds while sitting here.' 

"Shifting his position and leaning forward with 
hands resting upon a pile of law-books, he hesi- 
tated a moment as if in deep meditation over some 
intricate problem, looked squarely into the faces 
of the disconcerted schoolmasters, and said: 'The 
verdict of the court is, men, that the master who 
can correctly diagnose the political situation of 



The Squire and the Old A/asters. 259 

Emden district, when Thomas Benton's political 
standing is at issue, is perfectly qualified to con- 
duct a district school! Call round, my faithful 
co-workers, by high noon to-morrow, and the cer- 
tificates will be signed, sealed and ready for 
delivery.' " 

And the Squire was always as good as his word. 



CHAPTER XXL 

BEFORE THE EXAMINATION — IN THE SCHOOL- 
HOUSE — THE OLD MASTERS UNDER FIRE. 

"Full well do I recall the first examination 
held by the County Superintendent in the old 
house over there, just forty years ago," said 
Nicholas, after hesitating a moment to make sure 
of the correct date. "They seem to come along 
every season as regularly as camp-meeting, and 
while the crowd that gathers round isn't over re- 
ligiously inclined, it measures up pretty well in 
size and standing. Of course, not more than a 
dozen or so come to answer all the hard questions 
that it is always claimed the examiner's been gath- 
ering out of the latest text-books during the time 
he hadn't much else to think about." 

"And what is the opinion of Nicholas Comenius 
as to the practical utility of these public examina- 
tions ?" we made free to ask. 

"In my judgment, based on practical experi- 
ence," he replied, "it isn't using the young folks 
more than half right to compel them to sit for six 
long hours in a close, ill-ventilated room before a 
whole house-full of country folks, many of whom 
260 



Before the Examination. 261 

are ill-fitted to pass judgment on the qualification 
of the applicant. My opinion is, that the longer 
these examinations continue, the more nervous the 
candidates become, and the less able they are to do 
themselves entire justice. 

"Now, there was our old master Jimmy — as 
straight as an arrow and as quick-witted as a judge; 
learned in half a dozen languages; could make all 
the straight lines and pot-hooks as if they'd grown; 
could outstand any fellow in the whole school in a 
spelling match; could work the double rule of three 
backward and forward; knew every chapter in the 
Bible even better than Solomon himself — and yet 
when the new Superintendent got hold of him, he 
trembled like a leaf in a storm. Yes, it was the 
first public examination that killed many a poor 
old master; for within a year or two they began to 
fall off like flies on a frosty morning. Many be- 
lieved at the time that the law was passed for the 
sole purpose of shelving the old masters. It was 
charged openly that the professor who invented 
the new Arithmetic and the new Etymology had 
kept them all in the big schools among the young 
professors, so that the poor old masters never got a 
look inside of one to their dying day. Then what 
seemed to break up old Jimmy and the other old 
masters was when they had to stand before the 
Superintendent and tell all about how they'd teach 
a school this, that and the other thing, when they 
didn't have any school before them to practice on. 



262 Nicholas Comenius. 

"Of course many a time I've heard the old 
Squire give the masters plenty of good wholesome 
advice ; tell them all how he had courted half a 
dozen girls at the same time at an apple-butter 
boiling, unbeknown to the others hanging round; 
show them how he could swing a scythe or a cradle 
in the harvest field and be back attending to the 
duties of his office long before the others had gotten 
more than, half through with their day's work. 
'It's one thing to catch an eel,' he'd say, 'but the 
scientific thing to do is to hold him when you've 
got him.' And so the Squire'd lay awake nights 
meditating how the masters were going to stand 
before that Superintendent and explain how they 
were going to educate and discipline from sixty to 
seventy youngsters, while they were off playing 
ball or cutting up all kinds of capers at a barn 
raising. 'Easy enough,' he'd say, 'if he's smart 
and got them all inside the school with the door 
barred. No other way to learn music, except by 
attending singing school and joining in the exer- 
cises. It's practice makes perfect, and there's no 
doctrine under heaven that beats practice.' 

"Yes, yes, it was a trying time for the old mas- 
ters, as the day approached for the first public 
examination, under the new examiner ; for the 
Squire and I sat up half the night with old Jimmy 
and the seven other old gentlemen, trying to stiffen 
them up for the terrible ordeal that was to come 
off the next day. It was an awful night — reading 



Before the Examination. 26 



3 



and spelling, ciphering and memorizing. There 
wasn't a sum in the old Arithmetic that Jimmy 
couldn't work with his eyes shut, nor a page in the 
old Grammar that he didn't know by rote. But 
he was pale and nervous, and when the fatal morn- 
ing: came he didn't go into the harvest field as 
usual, but said he felt something terrible was 
going to happen the old man. The old masters 
were taken by surprise and caught napping from 
the very first, for they didn't have a chance to 
prowl round as nowadays to find out the lay of 
the land, or to discover the strong and weak points 
of the enemy." 

Bright and early on the morning of the first ex- 
amination held in Emden district under the new 
law, people began to gather round the little red 
sandstone school-house, and none of them looked 
very pleasant either; for they didn't like the new 
system any way, and hated the new Superintend- 
ent like poison for robbing the Squire of his voca- 
tion. By seven o'clock Jimmy came down the 
stairs of the old inn, on his way to the Squire's 
office, dressed in his best suit of linsey-woolsey, 
with the Speller, Arithmetic and Grammar under 
his arm; while from different directions came the 
other seven old masters. Some trudged their way 
on foot, while others were on horseback, with their 
shining nankeen breeches drawn upward toward 
their knees, and their long, lank legs dangling be- 
side saddle bag's that were so well filled with 



264 Nicholas Comenius. 

books published in Noali Webster's day, that there 
could be no mistake as to the preconceived arrange- 
ment on the part of the Squire and the masters to 
circumvent the new Superintendent. 

A little later, in the office of the venerable Jus- 
tice stood the eight old schoolmasters on one side 
of the long desk, looking as solemn as the grave- 
stones over beside the ancient church, while on the 
other side stood the six trustees. At one end of 
this little coterie of district magnates stood the 
learned Squire, in his stylish outfit; and to the ex- 
treme right of the column, President Ebenezer 
Lukens, for so many years the pronounced cham- 
pion of the people's rights. In person, Ebenezer 
was a short, thick-set man, who wore his hair long 
and parted in the middle. His face was round and 
fat, his manner ardent and impressive, and in point 
of intelligence and general information, his whole 
bearing was calculated to impress his colleagues 
with his superiority. 

Beside the window, and with eyes intently fixed 
upon the old school house — the objective point of 
so much interest — stood Orlando Hoskins, the aged 
Parson, and altogether the most disturbing factor 
in the educational history of Blackwell county. 
For many long years Parson Hoskins had held the 
unenviable reputation of being the great expounder 
of the doctrine of Millerism in its most radical 
form. His voice, pitched at all times in the minor 
key, with falling inflection at the end of each sen- 



Before the Examination. 265 

tence, corresponded with his grotesque attitude, as 
he swung- from side to side in the old pulpit, har- 
assing and terrorizing his subservient followers. 

"There he goes!" exclaimed the now agitated 
Parson, "and followed too by a straggling crowd 
of hangers on !" 

" Ho!" came the voice of the Squire, as one and 
all made a rush for the door to catch a glimpse of 
the young Superintendent. 

"Ah, and a handsome-looking official he is," 
sneered the Parson. 

A few moments later, one excited individual 
after another rapped at the office door, all eager to 
bear witness that they had actually seen, with their 
own eyes, the superhuman being who had been 
specially ordained to examine every old school- 
master in Blackwell county. After a few moment's 
hurried consultation, in which it was arranged that 
the Squire's tact and ingenuity were to be thrown 
in the masters' favor at the most critical moment, 
and after each Director had given the old men a 
few words of sympathy, encouraging them to up- 
hold and maintain the dignity of their calling, 
they mournfully wended their way toward the little 
red sandstone school-house. 

Half an hour later the eight old masters stood 
under the aged oak, comparing notes and asking 
each other all sorts of hard questions, like this : 
" If a certain number, and the half of the number, 
and seven and a half make eleven and a half, what 



Before the Examination. 267 

is the number?" Under the linden stood an equal 
number of dandified professors, making remarks 
about Moral Suasion, Mental Arithmetic, Analysis 
in Grammar, and Theory of Teaching, and casting 
sly glances over at the old masters. But the try- 
ing time began when the Superintendent stepped 
to the door and said: "All applicants for. schools 
in this district will please occupy the benches 
along the walls, facing the examiner." 

Before the old masters could reach the doorway, 
the young men had taken their seats one beside 
the other, while the old gentlemeu ranged them- 
selves on the opposite bench, where they sat with 
arms folded like a set of mourners at a funeral. 

Closely following the applicants came the six 
trustees, headed by Justice Benton, in his gorgeous 
outfit, marching in single file to the remotest part 
of the room, where they seated themselves in a 
little group. But no word or look of recognition 
passed from Director to Superintendent, or vice 
versa. It was evident to the mind of the new offi- 
cial before he had crossed the threshold of the old 
house, that he was to encounter a public sentiment 
of the deepest hostility. Xothiug daunted, how- 
ever, he concluded to follow closely the line of his 
professional duty, whatever the consequence. 

After a few suggestive remarks by the Superin- 
tendent, admonishing each applicant to keep his 
eye firmly fixed upon his own work; that any sly 
glance to the right or the left would be sufficient 



'-~»4».*V>s l "" i > li "^ 




Before the Examination. 269 

cause for disfavor*; that no prompting by outsiders 
would be tolerated; and that if any member of the 
class should be found to have Cobb's Speller or 
Pike's Arithmetic concealed about his person he 
would be denied a certificate, the examination pro- 
ceeded. This latter remark, that no prompting by 
outsiders would be tolerated, naturally threw the 
Squire completely off his base, as he had placed 
himself in direct line with the old masters, bent on 
rendering them any assistance that might come 
within his range. 

At the head of the long bench, and directly 
opposite the young students, sat Patrick McDeever, 
the master of Shaky Hollow school, as brawny au 
old Irish gentleman as ever leaned upon a genuine 
blackthorn; to his left sat Dennis O'Reilly, 
Michael O'Farrel, Gabriel Thomas, Jeremiah 
Todd, Gad Day, Timothy O'Neal, and at the end 
the master of the village school, Jimmy McCune. 

At the close of the Superintendent's rather 
severe remarks, all eyes were centered in the direc- 
tion of Squire Benton, who now began squirming 
in his seat, as though a stray humble-bee had acci- 
dentally been awakened from its snug winter quar- 
ters on the old bench upon which the Squire had 
seated himself. That the chilling remarks were in 
part intended for this officious legal gentleman, 
admitted of no doubt. For Squire Benton, the 
mainstay of the old masters, and on whom they 
had for so many years relied in all things pertain- 



270 Nicholas Comenius. 

ing to their schools, thus to show signs of waver- 
ing, even before the Superintendent had com- 
menced operations, was a sad beginning for the 
old men, I can assure you. A moment later, the 
Superintendent, foreseeing the demoralizing effect 
his pointed remarks were likely to produce on the 
minds of the masters, made this announcement: 

"As the law requires an answer to the following 
questions, each applicant will be prepared to give 
his full name, age, number of years in the profes- 
sion, schools previously attended, and number and 
kind of educational works read from time to time." 

This simple request acted on the old masters' 
spirits like a ray of sunshine on a drooping plant, 
and had the immediate effect of stimulating their 
latent energies into renewed activity. Under the 
delusive hope that age and long service were to be 
considered factors in the new certificate, a ray of 
hope now broke in upon them, only to vanish as it 
came. Even the Squire now began to readjust his 
plaited neck-stock and to straighten out the skirt 
of his stylish coat, which in his excitement had 
become sadly disarranged. Starting with the 
young students whose whole experience was em- 
braced within a few years of Normal training, the 
examiner's eyes were soon directed toward the 
older men. 

"Will the first gentleman please rise and " — but 
before the question had been fully stated old 
Jimmy stood erect and in a clear ringing voice 



Before the Examination. 2 7 1 

that almost brought the Squire to his feet, ex- 
claimed: 

" My Christian name is James and my surname 
McCune, but known among the lads of the village 
school as plain Jimmy. Born in county Donegal, 
North Ireland, sixty-five years ago, if there be no 
mistake in the records. Graduated with honor 
before attaining my manhood. Have kept school 
in the old house from the day I made the treaty of 
peace with the wild lads of the school under the 
old oak over forty years ago, as the exact date 
marked on the tree will prove to your honor. My 
reading comprises the whole category of pedagogy, 
from the time of Pestalozzi down to the beginning 
of the new system, which hasn't a history worth 
speaking of, if my judgment serves me right. In 
■the dead languages, I have never had an equal in 
this neighborhood, as many of the young men 
whom I've trained will bear me witness." 

" A pretty long service and a ripe old age," sug- 
gested the examiner, as he cast his eyes around the 
room to observe the effect produced by the 
speaker's remarks. 

"Yes, it's pretty long and faithful service; but 
I'm still the equal of any two of the young pro- 
fessors, either at keeping school or at swinging a 
cradle in the harvest field," was Jimmy's rejoinder, 
as he took his seat amid the sly nods of approval 
from the trustees, who were leaning their heads 
forward, eager to catch every word of his statement. 



272 Nicholas Comenius. 

"I believe I have the pleasure of addressing 
Timothy Neal," suggested the superintendent. 

" Timothy C Neal, may it please your riverence, 
and no mistaking the O," said Tim, as he looked 
the Superintendent squarely in the eye. "Me 
birth-place is by the Lakes of Killarney, where I 
first saw the light o' day sevinty-wan years ago. 
Here's me parchment, if you care to examine it, 
in altogether as good condition as though your 
honor had penned it with his own quill. For more 
than fifty years it has been me passport wheriver 
me feet have carried me ; and should be as good as 
gold, even under the new system, which is after 
knocking the props clear from under me. You 
can please the ould gintleman immensely if you'll 
but subscribe your own signature right below that 
of the ould Bishop's, and thus give it a new lease 
o' loife." 

A wave of the hand was sufficient to satisfy Tim 
that his time had already expired. 

"Will Patrick McDeever be kind enoug-h to" — 

"And by my faith I shall be only too willing to 
stand up, ef it's me history ye wants from mimory; 
but ef it's me diplomy you're afther seeing, you'll 
never lay your eyes on it, begorra; for if the truth 
must be told, I've never resaived one from ony col- 
lege or University. I'm a self-made mon, as you'll 
diskiver on a more intimate acquaintance, if I shud 
be fortunate enough to wade clear through the list 
of new doctrines widont swamping mesilf. It's 



Before the Examination. 273 

from the time I landed in Ameriky that I've swung 
the firule over the back of ivery young rapscallion, 
to the entire satisfaction of all the intelligent con- 
stituents of Shaky Hollow school. That me years 
hang heavy on me shoulders, some three score and 
tin, is not for Patrick the schoolmaster to deny; 
but that I'm yonng in me ways, even yourself may 
diskiver if ye give me but a sight of a chance. 
No, it's nay th er a diplomy nor a certificate that's 
been me stock in trade, but a strong arrnm and a 
good-sized firnle that's given onld Patrick his 
standing among the gintry of Shaky Hollow. Ef 
it's the certificate that's to make the skule, I'm 
afther thinking it'll be a long way off when the 
ould mon is willing to give up his saplin' for a bit 
of parchment to hang up in the sknle-room to 
frighten a skule of sixty or seventy wild lads, that 
know a good shillaly only whin they feel the 
shtrokes a-fallin' like a flail on the barn flnre. " 

"That will answer for the present," mildly 
suggested the Superintendent. And so Patrick, 
yielding to conditions which he coukl not control, 
fell back into his seat with quivering lips and 
trembling frame, clearly indicating the severe 
mental strain to which he had been subjected, in 
his determination to uphold the dignity of the pro- 
fession as handed down by his predecessors. 

"Will the next gentleman proceed with the de- 
sired information?" said the examining official, as 
he caught the eye of Gad Day. 
18 



274 Nicholas Comenius. 

"It will afford me the greatest pleasure, Mr. 
Superintendent," came the reply of Gad in one 
of his well-rounded sentences. 

Now Gad, it must be remembered, was a lineal 
descendant of one of the old time New England 
schoolmasters, was endowed with more than the 
average natural ability, tact and cunning, if the 
judgment of the Squire could be relied on. In 
fact, he prided himself on being the oldest of four 
brothers, Ira, Dan, Asa and Gad, the combined 
letters of whose Christian names did not exceed 
twelve characters of the alphabet; but at the same 
time the shortest-set schoolmaster in Blackwell 
county. Gad, being of a roving propensity as his 
name might imply, was doomed to ramble idly with- 
out any fixed purpose, bobbing up here and there 
when least expected. He was the champion speller 
at country spelling-matches, where he was at all 
times sure to carry off the coveted prize. Armed 
with the Bible in one pocket and the Speller in the 
other, and a cotton umbrella under his arm, he was 
the conquering hero who bade defiance to every old 
schoolmaster whom he chanced to meet. He was 
familiarly known, when not in the school-room, 
as the "walking dictionary" of Sassafras Ridge, 
and was ever ready to entertain and enlighten the 
loungers in by-way inns and country stores. He 
could out-walk any other pedestrian — ped-es-te- 
rian, as he was accustomed to pronounce the word 
— and in the spelling and pronunciation of Biblical 



Before the Examination. 275 

words was considered the champion. To hold the 
enviable reputation of always standing at the head 
of the class in a spelling-match was considered an 
honor second only to that of being the best wrestler 
at a fox-chase or at a country fair. With Gad, and 
the community at large, all other qualifications 
were considered of secondary importance. It was 
but natural, then, that Gad should enter somewhat 
into a plain presentation of facts, in order that the 
Superintendent might proceed accordingly. It 
was his determination also to impress upon the ex- 
aminer, at the very outstart, that what he lacked 
in stature was more than made up in literary qual- 
ification. 

As Gad Day had inwardly resolved before enter- 
ing the class to take issue with the new Superin- 
tendent on every technical point that might arise, 
to enter into a personal controversy with the 
avowed purpose of placing the examiner in a com- 
promising position before the class and the consti- 
tuents of Emden district, it is not at all surprising 
that he should become the target for a fusillade of 
direct questions from the very beginning*; and the 
result was what might have been expected. 

"To take issue with the Superintendent on 
every disputed point," observed Comenius, recall- 
ing incidents of the many examinations he had 
personally conducted, "has resulted in settling the 
fate of more than one irrepressible schoolmaster, 
however well informed he may have been on the 



276 Nicholas Comenius. 

subject-matter under consideration. The folly of 
such a course is often offset, however, by the dis- 
position of certain examiners, who abuse the 
authority their office gives them, by holding up to 
ridicule some unfortunate applicant for the amuse- 
ment of the assembled audience. There is no 
other profession in the world wherein a little know- 
ledge, combined with a vast amount of self-assur- 
ance, is more dangerous than in the teacher's call- 
ing, and especially so in that of a Superintendent. 
Far better that a young man or woman should 
never enter upon the work of a teacher, than to 
imagine that they constitute 'the hub of the uni- 
verse.' This was perhaps the one besetting sin of 
the schoolmaster of earlier days. Settling him- 
self in some secluded neighborhood, forever after 
he was a law unto himself in all things pertaining 
to the training of the young. As reading, writing 
and arithmetic were the three essentials, he was 
prudent enough never to overstep the danger line. 
If an occasional boy manifested a taste for geo- 
graphy, history or grammar, in opposition to the 
expressed wishes of teacher and parents, the 
master would generally sacrifice the former for the 
latter. To demonstrate his ability to ' keep school,' 
the solution of one or two intricate mathematical 
problems at a country store or wayside inn was 
sufficient to establish his reputation." 

These observations of our aged narrator com- 
mend themselves to every observing mind ; and so 



Before the Examination. 277 

it was not to be expected that these eight old 
masters would submit to conditions against which 
their very natures rebelled, without asserting their 
own individuality in a way most pleasing to the 
Squire and their constituents. But the result 
could not be other than disastrous to themselves. 






CHAPTER XXII. 

EXAMINATION IN ARITHMETIC AND GRAMMAR — 

MOTHER BENTON — THE SPELLING BOOK — 

THE OLD MASTERS DISCARDED. 

Up to this point, no exception could be taken to 
the examiner's method of procedure, for the widest 
latitude had been given the old masters in the pre- 
liminary exercises. But when the next series of 
questions came — " What works on theory and phil- 
osophy of teaching have you read ?" " Explain 
the difference between the pouring in and the 
drawing out process?" "What are the conceptive 
and the perceptive faculties?" "Wherein do the 
deductive, inductive and objective methods differ 
from the old alphabetic method?" — it was evident 
that the line of demarkation between the New and 
the Old had been reached, and that the masters 
were to be relegated to the rear for a newer dispen- 
sation. 

But the trying ordeal only came when the exam- 
iner drew from his grip-sack a small, innocent- 
looking volume, bearing on its outer cover in gilt 
characters, " Mental Arithmetic." To this novel 
piece of ammunition all eyes were turned ; for how- 
278 



Mental Arithmetic. 279 

ever small in size, there was death to the old mas- 
ters lurking within its covers. When the eyes of 
Jimmy fell upon that destructive weapon, he 
turned to Tim and whispered : " I'd sooner run 
against a dozen hornet-nests, my old boy, or all the 
wild lads of the district, than to tackle that newly- 
discovered Arithmetic!" But the way the young 
students rolled off the big cup-and-cover questions 
was enough to startle even the Squire, who by this 
time began to rub his eyes and gather himself to- 
gether. 

That Jimmy, the old master, was considered the 
best fisherman in all the country round, had caught 
many a slippery old fellow with his own hands 
along many a fair stream, was acknowledged on all 
sides ; but when he took hold of the fish question, 
which the Superintendent kindly repeated three or 
four times in order that he might get a tight grip 
on it, he couldn't manage the one side of it. With 
a good grip on the head he'd lose sight of the tail ; 
and with both head and tail well in hand he 
couldn't manage the body; and so, after getting the 
slippery creature divided up, he couldn't for his life 
put it all together again. 

Timothy O'Neal's turn came next, and he had 
the same experience with the tree problem. He 
could swing an axe, could cut more timber in a 
day than the whole row of those young professors 
could in a week, and measure it too in the bargain; 
and yet he squirmed around, now holding on to the 



280 Nicholas Contemns. 

trunk, then to the top, but he couldn't, to save his 
reputation, manage the shadow. " Yes, it was the 
shadow," remarked Tim many times thereafter, 
" that bothered me more than the surveying of a 
ten-acre .timber tract." 

" Yes, there was freer breathing all along the 
line when that little book was laid aside," com- 
mented Nicholas at this point. " All right at the 
present day, when every school-boy in the land 
can go through a Mental Arithmetic as easily 
as he'd go through the multiplication table — 
and yet fail on the first practical question in- 
volving a simple business-like solution. There 
wasn't so much show about the old master's math- 
ematical operations; but when the result was 
announced it wasn't necessary to be looking up the 
answer in the key to make sure of the accuracy 
of his solutions." 

" Now, please," said the examiner, after directing 
a few questions to the young students, " define the 
term Moral Suasion, and explain how you would 
govern a school without the use of the rod." 

"Holy Saint Patrick!" exclaimed Gabriel 
Thomas, who had risen to his feet, and who now 
recalled the statement of the Squire a year before ; 
" and would ye take away from the old master his 
only means of defense ; place him at the mercy of 
all the wild lads of the neighborhood by robbing 
him of his shillaly? And is it this the system's 
coming to, that would strip an old bird of his 



Moral Suasion, 281 

wings, and make ould Gabriel Thomas, the re- 
spected schoolmaster, strut around in the school 
like a young fledgling, with his arms tied behind 
his back, unable to defind himself against the 
young rapscallions of the district!" 

"Next!" quickly interposed the examiner. But 
for once Gabriel had gained an apparent victory, 
inasmuch as he had received an appreciative nod 
from the seven other masters, who were intensely 
interested in maintaining their rights, so long 
recognized throughout Blackwell county. 

" But support of this kind didn't amount to very 
much," laughed Nicholas; "while to his right 
could be heard the snapping of no less than half a 
dozen fingers of as many impatient competitors, 
ready to repeat word for word the contents of some 
new work detailing how it was being done so suc- 
cessfully away over in the Boston schools." 

In grammar, however, the masters thought they 
were completely fortified, having committed the 
contents of the first edition of Kirkham's old 
Grammar, in which could always be found author- 
ity on every knotty sentence or stanza in English 
literature. It was an undisputed fact that, however 
widely any half dozen of these old-timers might 
differ on any particular point, each disputant could 
securely fortify himself behind this most valuable 
adjunct of the teacher's stock in trade. So there 
was hope pictured on the faces of these trusty old 
educators when the subject of grammar was an- 



282 Nicholas Comenms. 

liounced ! Indeed, the flush of renewed confidence 
illumined the countenances of the six trustees, as 
they leaned forward. On the brow of the Squire 
also sat hope renewed. 

But to the consternation of these old veterans, 
the Superintendent drew for a second time from 
his grip a small work entitled, "Language Lessons, 
or New Education." Holding this little volume 
before him, and glancing around to take account 
of any weak material, his eye fell on Jeremiah 
Todd, who was at that very moment engaged in re- 
adjusting his wig, which in the excitement of the 
moment had become sadly disarranged ; for indeed 
there were moments when Jerry was at a loss to 
know whether he had not come away bareheaded. 

" Will Mr. Todd please state into how many 
parts grammar is divided ?" 

And Jeremiah, bounding to his feet, blurted out : 
"Into four, of course — Or-tho-graph'-y, Ety-mo- 
lo'-gy, Syntax and Pro-so'-dy." 

With this prompt answer, coming within the 
scope of the old grammar, Jeremiah was about to 
subside full of honors, when he was confronted 
with this sentence for analysis: "The days of the 
old schoolmasters are fast drawing to a close." 

"And what shall I do with it?" said Jerry. 

" Separate it into its parts, and give its preposi- 
tive, substantive modifiers, and the analytical rela- 
tion of each component part, in a synthetical sense, 
to the subject and predicate." 



Jeremiati s Analysis. 28 



j 



Now Jeremiah was a genuine type of many an 
old Irish master: his face at times may have been 
rough, bronzed, and rugged lines may have marked 
its contour, but there was neither meanness nor 
selfishness in his nature; his massive chin and 
straight brows indicated an unyielding will, while 
from his big gray eyes shone forth both tenderness 
and sympathy for his little flock. And yet, be- 
neath the coarse gray clothes which hung loosely 
about his person, there slept a passion that when 
kindled into a flame through some intended or 
imaginary insult, knew no limit. As Jeremiah 
stood up, head and shoulders above every other 
member of the class, his face assumed a deep scar- 
let red; the little bob of hair protruding through 
his wig disentangled itself, and in a moment each 
particular hair seemed to stand on end. His whole 
being was up in arms, eager for the fray, as he 
looked the Superintendent squarely in the eye, and 
said : 

"And is it Jeremiah Todd that you'd have me 
siparate and pull apart? If you'll come out on the 
green, it's yourself that I'll siparate, and it's ivery 
bone in your body that I'll analyze to find out what 
manner of mon ye be, to ask a poor ould school- 
master sich outlandish conundrums that even a 
mon of me years wuddn't be afther asking the 
worst boy in the howl schule, for fear me con- 
science wouldn't rest aizy to me dying day. It's 
not the first of your size and intelligence, Mr. 



284 Nicholas Comenius. 

Superintendent, that I've analyzed, but not accord- 
ing to the new system, as you'll soon diskiver." 

For a moment the wildest confusion prevailed. 
The young students left their seats and gathered 
round the Superintendent, seemingly for his protec- 
tion. The eight old masters were gesticulating 
and pouring out invectives on the head of the 
interloper, as they termed the examiner. The six 
trustees gathered into a corner of the room and 
urged the Squire forthwith to commit the young 
official for contempt; while the Superintendent 
stood at his post as little disconcerted as though it 
were but an every-day occurrence. Orlando Hos- 
kins, on the other hand, betook himself to the out- 
side, where he gave free expression to his pent-up 
wrath, urging the young folks to storm the old 
house from without. 

In the midst of this confusion, Squire Benton, it 
must be said, continued to maintain that dignity 
of composure that had on more than one previous 
occasion shown the strength of his character and 
the fertility of his resources in the hour of greatest 
difficulty. Stung to the quick by the unfair treat- 
ment he felt had been meted out to the old masters, 
his manner was yet in keeping with the important 
office he had so long held. Stepping forward 
through the crowd that had filled every portion of 
the old house, until he stood face to face with the 
new Superintendent, he spoke for the first time 
since he had entered the room : 



The Squire Interposes. 285 

"My name, Mr. Superintendent," said he in a 
firm voice, " is plain Thomas Benton, for many 
years a citizen and justice of the peace of Emden 
district. You will do me a favor by adjourning 
the examination until after the dinner hour, if I 
am not trespassing on your time." 

A moment later the Superintendent, feeling that 
he had possibly compromised the dignity of his 
office in some way not entirely clear to his own 
mind, made a few conciliatory remarks, which 
acted like oil on the troubled waters, and then ad- 
journed the examination until afternoon. 

" If the crowd that gathered within and around 
the little red sandstone school-house during the ex- 
ercises of that historic forenoon had been unusual 
in number, that which collected in the afternoon 
far exceeded any similar uprising during the many 
years of my own experience as County Superin- 
tendent of Blackwell county," said Comeuius. "As 
young and old came pouring into the village, their 
presence could only be accounted for, by those 
who had not heard the cause, on the supposition 
that the annual autumnal Fair week had arrived." 

"All dissenters or conservatives?" asked one of 
us. 

"No," replied Nicholas, as he drew his easy 
reclining-chair closer toward the low window; "not 
by any means! There were brave men in those 
days — men with hearts full of love and devotion to 
the cause of popular education. Earnest and en- 



286 Nicholas Comcnius. 

tliusiastic as they were, there was no shouting, no 
frothy demonstrations such as moves the multitude 
at teachers' or directors' meetings nowadays. And 
if there were brave men, there were even braver 
women — women who gave encouragement by word 
and action to those who were ready to give their 
lives, if necessary, that the principles represented 
by the common school system might be established. 
For where, in the history of our modern rural 
life, stands a name more worthy to be revered and 
honored than that of plain Mary Benton? The 
conceptions of a broader and more perfect life ; the 
sunlight of a kindly nature ; unbounded faith in 
an over-ruling Providence — these were the cardi- 
nal virtues of her life. In the darkest hours, when 
superstition and fanaticism had taken possession of 
the minds of the multitude, it was Mother Benton 
who kept her light burning amid the gloom, ever 
hoping for the coming of a better day. Yes, it was 
woman's intuition that prompted her to rescue 
Robert Rayland from the surroundings of the old 
inn, and from the charge of insubordination at an- 
other critical moment. It was her intuition that 
saved the old Parson from bodily harm, when the 
entire populace stood ready to condemn and punish. 
"Yes, my young friends," continued the aged 
father, as the big tears began to trickle down his 
cheeks, " it was a woman's deep convictions that 
moved her even to exchange old Jimmy, the mas- 
ter of the village school, who had kindly cared for 



Mother Benton. 287 

her own little ones, for a young and progressive 
teacher. We all thought at the time that Mary 
Benton had become infatuated with some peculiar 
mental hallucination, but time eventually justified 
her wisdom. 

" But these little episodes happened long ago, 
when the system was not as yet crystallized into 
that perfect mechanism over which the present 
generation delights to dwell in its Fourth of July 
oratory. It was such unselfish interest as the de- 
voted wife of Squire Benton at all times manifested 
in her daughters, that eventually gave to young 
women that high position in the schools of the state 
for which they are by nature and training so well 
adapted. For it should be remembered by the 
young teachers of the Commonwealth, that at the 
time Jimmy McCune conducted the village school, 
the records failed to show the name of a single 
young lady teacher employed in any of the public 
schools of Blackwell county, and comparatively 
few in the whole State." 

But we must not let our aged narrator anticipate 
the history yet to be related, and will return to the 
examination. For a time after the noon recess, 
only the wise counsel of Thomas Benton among 
the rank and file without, and the judicious deport- 
ment of one of the younger students within, pre- 
vented what otherwise might have resulted in a 
riotous demonstration, or possibly the ejection of 
the new Superintendent. Like the good Samaritan 



288 Nicholas Comcnius. 

of old, this young man pressed his way forward, 
and taking each of the old men by the hand, 
whispered words of good cheer to one and all. 
These expressions of sympathy, coming as they 
did from one of the youngest professors, had a most 
conciliatory effect, which lasted until attention was 
diverted by the placing of an outline map of the 
United States on the otherwise blank wall. With 
this modern school-room appliance placed directly 
before the class, the examination was renewed ; not 
however in the old-fashioned way, for a new craze 
had recently entered the educational field — that of 
singing the States, capitals, and other important 
features to the tune of Yankee Doodle. As the 
Superintendent was a newly-converted disciple to 
this modern method, the younger members of the 
class made the four corners of the room resound 
with the echo of their voices: the other members 
were the eight old masters, who sat as silent ob- 
servers of the scene before them. 

But when Michael O'Farrel's turn came to ex- 
plain the roundity of the earth, there was music in 
the air; for however well informed Mike may have 
been in geography and travels, he had never out- 
grown the prevailing superstition of many other- 
wise well-informed people who honestly believed 
that the earth was as flat as the rims of their broad- 
brimmed hats. For many years Mike had been a 
seafearing man, and the variety of anecdotes which 
daily enthused the loungers at the wayside inn 



Michael Comes Out of the Hole. 289 

made him an undoubted authority in the line of 
geographical teaching, and gave him a yearly pass- 
port to a school without examination. And yet on 
that fatal occasion, the sturdy old pedagogue be- 
came so confused that he could hardly have 
described the road to the old grist-mill. 

Confronted with the direct question : " What is 
the shape and size of the earth?" the old school- 
master straightened himself up, cast an observing 
eye over at the Squire and replied : 

" Some say it is flat, Mr. Superintendent ; some 
say it is square, while others say it is round; but if 
I succeed in getting a legal paper, I am willing to 
teach it any way the constituents may desire." 

The Sqnire nodded his head, which was followed 
by a similar expression of approval from the six 
duly authorized school trustees of Emden district. 
Michael was encouraged, and felt himself equal to 
the occasion ; and when the Superintendent turned 
to a small globe which he held before the class, 
and asked him wdiere he would come out on the 
other side, were it possible for him to pass clear 
through the earth, a bright idea dawned upon 
Mike : 

"And where should I come out on the other 
side, Mr. Superintendent, but out of the hole at the 
other end, of course, if I ever lived to get through 
without swamping myself in the broad ocean." 

If this application of the principles of mathe- 
matical geography failed to carry conviction to the 

J 9 



290 Nicholas Contemns . 

mind of the examiner, it nevertheless struck a re- 
sponsive chord in the breasts of the listeners, and 
found expression in repeated nods of approval from 
the custodians of the school interests of Kmden dis- 
trict. 

That Michael O'Farrel could answer a question 
that to the average mind was only to be grappled 
with by the Squire's superior wisdom, at once gave 
him a standing in the community which he had 
never before attained. For the Superintendent to 
assume that the earth was round like a ball, was to 
the minds of many well-meaning people simply 
preposterous : and yet, accepting the theory as cor- 
rect, where else but at the other end of the hole 
was it possible for the old master to appear ? 

But Michael's ambition, stimulated by the evi- 
dent impression he had made, tempted him still 
further, and he added : 

" To sustain me position, Mr. Superintendent, I 
might state that there is a lake over in the ould 
country with no bottom at all, sorr." 

"But how do you know that?" asked the Super- 
erintendent, with a smile. 

" Well, sorr, I will tell ye. Me own cousin was 
showing the pond to a gintleman one day, sorr, 
who looked incredulous like, just as you do yer- 
self, and me cousin couldn't stand it for him to 
doubt his word, so he said, ' Begorra, I'll prove the 
truth of me words,' and off with his clothes and in 
he jumped." 



The Spelling Test. 291 

The Superintendent's face wore an amused and 
quizzical expression. 

" Yes, sorr, he dived under, and didn't come up 
again, at all, at all." 

"But," said the Superintendent, "I don't see 
how your cousin proved his point by recklessly 
drowning himself. ' ' 

, " Sure, sorr, it wasn't drowned at all he was; for 
the next month comes a letter from him in Austra- 
lia, askin' to send on his clothes." 

There was triumph in the eye of Michael 
O'Farrel as he took his seat on the long slab 
bench, followed by a buzz of admiration from all 
who had crowded their way into the village school. 

After this brilliant display of wisdom, which 
brought a smile even from the young Superintend- 
ent, the examination finally closed with that most 
vexatious of all tests, the spelling exercise : for it 
has ever been a custom, even down to the present 
day, either to begin the examination with the 
spelling-book or to close the day's Work with that 
most difficult branch of the school-room curriculum. 

"I've attended nearly ever}- examination since 
the new system came into use, 1 ' was the comment 
of Xicholas ; " and it's my opinion that the spelling- 
book has caused more worry than all the other 
branches of the school-room combined." 

" It was easy enough for Gad Day to stand up in 
a spelling match and spell all the hard words of 
the old Speller, as fast as even Xoah Webster could 



292 Nicholas Comenius. 

have pronounced them; but when the examiner 
pulled out that new Etymology, with a long list 
of lately-invented words, with their strange pro- 
nunciation, it was evident that the old men were 
going to have a trying time of it, unless Jimmy 
could persuade the Superintendent to ease up a 
little by substituting old Noah's Spelling-book for 
that new Etymology. This might easily have, 
been accomplished had the Squire held the reins; 
but old customs, habits and even methods, like the 
old masters, were now to be swept away for a 
newer dispensation. 

It was a caution to see how the masters tried to 
"juke" many of the words they had spelled fifty 
times over at the spelling-schools; for the new ex- 
aminer had such a peculiar way of twirling them 
round. One of the easiest words in the language 
Gad Day missed the moment it reached him. Now 
Gad had studied As-tro-no'-my, as he pronounced it, 
for years ; knew all the signs and stars in the 
heavens; could predict the coming of a storm to 
the minute ; understood the various eclipses and 
changes of the moon to a dead certainty; and yet 
when the Superintendent gave him the word Jupi- 
ter, he was the first to go down by insisting on 
calling it Ju-pe'-ter. Then there was Dennis 
O'Reilly, who was a great believer in the mythol- 
ogy of apparitions; could never pass within a mile 
of a graveyard without its recalling a line of myth- 
ical narratives, which he took great delight in re- 



The Axe Falls. 293 

peating for the benefit of his friend the Squire ; 
but he went down in the first skirmish, because he 
persisted in pronouncing the word my-tho-lo'-gy. 
Old Gabriel Thomas, who was noted for his happy 
faculty of belaboring more discipline into the ob- 
streperous lads of the school than any other master 
in the district, met the same fate on the words 
bel-a-bor'ing and ob-stre-pe'rous, as he obstinately 
insisted on pronouncing them. 

As the examination drew to a close, a sense of 
relief seemed to permeate the whole class. Half 
an hour later, the Superintendent announced that 
while he would personal ly desire to favor the old 
masters as far as possible, the obligations of his 
high position demanded the strictest impartiality ; 
and that feeling it to be his duty to sustain the 
new law by granting certificates to those only who 
had met its several requirements, he was reluc- 
tantly compelled to — 

Before the sentence could be completed, Patrick 
McDeever, the master of Shaky Hollow school, 
arose, and in a commanding tone said : " Brace up, 
old men," and out of the little red sandstone 
schoolhouse the eight old masters trudged their 
way into the cold world, leaving the eight young 
professors masters of the situation. 

A moment later the Superintendent handed to 
each of the young men a small four-by-eight paper, 
bearing the official imprint of the State, upon 
which was inscribed : "This is to certify that you 



294 Nicholas Comenius. 

have passed the examination, and are entitled to 
teach in the schools of the Commonwealth during 
the ensuing year. ' ' 

" As the Superintendent passed out of the door," 
added Nicholas, rising from his easy chair and 
standing erect as in his early manhood, " I looked 
him squarely in the eye, and could see that away 
down in his own heart he felt he had broken the 
hearts of the old schoolmasters. He didn't give 
them a good-by shake, and I noticed that Jimmy 
McCune didn't carry his grip across the lawn by 
the old oak, as he had in the morning. 

" Looking here and there for a word of encour- 
agement which he failed to receive, the new Super- 
intendent drove away with a heavy weight resting 
upon him. It was sad to see the eight old masters 
standing round with bended heads. They were 
not the victors that day, but they had plenty of 
kind words from the Squire and the trustees, and 
kindly looks of sympathy from a loving constit- 
uency. An hour later, and the news had reached 
every portion of the village that the old school- 
masters had been discarded, and their places filled 
by an equal number of young professors, represent- 
ing all the new methods and theories in the educa- 
tional world." 

To cast adrift those eight old masters by one 
sweep of the pen was the prerogative of the new 
Superintendent; but to eradicate the deep-seated 
superstitions, superinduced in part by the mistaken 






Sympathy with the Old Masters. 295 

teachings of Orlando Hoskins, was a psychological 
problem, the solution of which was, for the time at 
least, entirely beyond his jurisdiction. Could the 
advocates and the defenders of the old system, how- 
ever incurably defective in the eyes of the others, 
be expected to discard the same at the instigation 
of this new official, and accept a system diametri- 
cally the reverse of that under which they them- 
selves had been nourished, under the fostering 
care of the old masters, who had ever found a 
welcome at every fireside? 

The six directors, however superficial their own 
qualifications, and while they stood ready to obey 
the strict letter of the law, which forbade the em- 
ployment of others than those holding valid certi- 
ficates, were at the same time unalterably deter- 
mined to maintain a close supervision over the 
schools under their control — to hold each teacher 
to a strict accountability for a violation of any of 
the prescribed rules, among the most important of 
which was that which forbade the introduction 
of any of the new-fangled methods and theories. 
For hours after the examiner had departed, here 
and there around the old oak stood little knots of 
sympathizers in consultation with the discarded 
masters, offering words of condolence ; while within 
the old house sat the duly constituted authorities. 
Finally, after a prolonged discussion, the eight 
young teachers were duly appointed to the various 
schools. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

THE NEW TEACHER — THE FIRST MORNING — 

MODERN METHODS — ORLANDO HOSKINS 

INDIGNANT. 

IT was on the morning of the beautiful October 
day when Robert Rayland, the newly-elected 
teacher of the village school of Emden, crossed the 
threshold of the little stone house as the successor 
of Jimmy McCune, that the climax was reached 
and the seed sown which in God's own time was to 
take deep root, blossom and bear fruit — the fruit 
of the old system regenerated into the new. While 
the evolution of the old master into the modern 
teacher was to be complete, and at the same time 
so radical in its tendency as apparently to sweep 
away the educational landmarks and early tradi- 
tions of more than five generations, it was never- 
theless but the beginning of a struggle, with the 
masses solidly arrayed on the one side and fearless, 
conscientious young teachers on the other. It was 
furthermore a contest in which clear grit, con- 
science, and self-reliant determination to carry the 
light of the new educational system even to the 
very depths of Shaky Hollow, were eventually to 
296 



The New Teacher. 297 

crown our young hero's efforts with victory, and 
emancipate the good people of Emden from the 
thraldom of superstition, as the sequel will show. 

Unlike the old master, the new arrival, modest 
and unassuming as he at all times appeared, was 
not permitted to make his entry into the village 
quietly and unobserved ; for on that most eventful 
morning the entire place had assumed a holiday 
appearance. From sly nooks and remote corners 
the unsophisticated country lad was quietly survey- 
ing the new-comer with that keen penetration so 
common in the denizens of many a backwoods dis- 
trict; while at an open window sat Malinda, the 
Parson's oldest daughter, with thoughts but half 
concealed, casting sly glances and wondering at 
whose fireside the new teacher was to find a wel- 
come during the long winter evenings. That he 
was young and handsomely attired in a well-fitting 
suit of black, contrasting most favorably with the 
plain homespun of the old master, was appre- 
ciatively noted by all the marriageable girls of 
Bmden; but in the eyes of the many good house- 
wives this was viewed in a light entirely opposite. 

If the Squire was active in the local and political 
affairs of the district, his faithful wife was none the 
less active in looking after the proper education of 
her little family. In many respects she was his 
superior — in birth, as well as in advantages of edu- 
cation, for she had in early years attended a good 
school in a distant town. Since she had known 



298 Nicholas Comenius. 

Jimmy for so many years thoroughly and inti- 
mately, and had heard so many disparaging re- 
marks concerning the young professor, it was 
natural to suppose that her prejudices would be as 
deep-seated as those of her husband. And yet, 
with an intuition peculiar to her sex, she had re- 
solved from the moment the news first reached her 
of the new appointment, to withhold whatever 
opinion she might have formed until she could 
verify it by meeting the young teacher face to face. 

It is true, in many ways she had learned to re- 
spect and admire Jimmy McCune ; for had he not 
always faithfully looked after her family of grow- 
ing girls over in the old school? And yet, was 
there not away down in her very nature a con- 
sciousness that after all, her three daughters, fast 
blooming into womanhood, needed a different kind 
of training, and that perhaps in the new teacher 
she might find the fruition of her many longing 
desires? And so, while the village gossips who 
had called on her for sympathy and consolation 
were engaged in making all kinds of invidious 
comparisons, she simply replied in her quiet and 
unassuming manner : 

"Well, we'll give the young man a chance to 
show what's in him; may be the gold which glit- 
ters in his fine clothes isn't all on the outside, after 
all. He looks like a sprightly young chap, that 
has good breeding and polished manners, and by 
his walk I'd judge he isn't a bit lazy, either. I 



The New Teacher. 299 

don't want to prejudge the young fellow, for the 
Scripture says: 'Judge not, that ye may not be 
judged.' And so I'll wait until the Squire comes 
home, and then we'll argue the question from an 
intelligent standpoint." 

From this unexpected and unlooked-for decision 
there was no appeal, for surprise kept the usually 
nimble tongues silent. 

If the atmosphere hung heavy without, an even 
denser gloom shrouded Robert Rayland as he 
moved in the direction of the little stone house, 
filled to its utmost capacity with young and old, 
who had assembled to witness the installation or 
possible dismissal of the newly imported teacher. 
In fact, the latter was what the great majority most 
desired. To see Robert Rayland commit some 
gross indiscretion or violate one of the prescribed 
rules, and be thereupon summarily dismissed and 
Jimmy McCune reinstated in his place, was what 
every village lad had anxiously looked for. 

And yet it was evident, even to the prejudiced 
mind of the Squire, who sat at the head of the six 
directors on the long slab bench, their backs rest- 
ing against the damp wall, that Robert Rayland 
bore no resemblance whatever to the long line of 
itinerant Yankee schoolmasters who had for a gen- 
eration or more annually made application to his 
worship for a certificate. Whatever his ancestors 
may have been in their day and generation, it was 
evident that he had been educated under a system 



300 Nicholas Comenius. 

so different from the old as to make it absolutely 
impossible ' to follow in the footsteps of Jimmy 
McCune, however much, for the sake of peace and 
harmony, he might have so desired. 

Robert Rayland was at no time dependent upon 
the school-room for a living, having come from a 
distant school, like hundreds of others before him, 
rather to spread the light of the new educational 
gospel, which had illumined every New England 
village, than to earn a livelihood as the teacher of 
a village school. And so when he surveyed the 
old school building which loomed up before him 
in the distance, he never for a moment doubted 
that in the end he would come out victorious. 

It is true he had entered into a solemn contract 
that under no circumstances were any of the new 
doctrines advanced by the new Superintendent to 
supersede those which had for so many years pre- 
vailed in the schools of Emden district; but he had 
always reasoned on the principle that desperate 
cases require desperate remedies, and that "suffi- 
cient unto the day is the evil thereof." He had 
also hoped that he might be permitted to enter the 
school without attracting the attention of the out- 
side world, and by proceeding slowly and cau- 
tiously, disarm any criticism which might other- 
wise arise. But scarcely had he turned into the 
pathway to the school-house, when he began to 
realize that in this he was greatly mistaken, and 
that he would have to meet the issue in a straight- 



The New Teacher. 301 

forward way, or end his mission in ignominious 
failure. 

To resurrect one of the old-time masters and 
induct him into one of the modern schools of to- 
day, would scarcely provoke more criticism than 
the induction of a down-east educator of fifty years 
ago into the school of a backwoods district. And 
so it is but natural to rely upon the recollection 
and experience of eye-witnesses yet living for any 
knowledge of historical value pertaining to that 
early day. We will let our old friend tell the 
story of Robert Rayland's first day in Emden 
school in his own words. 

" I've attended many a meeting of the elders over 
in the chapel," said Nicholas, "when old Parson 
Hoskins was engaged in reckoning up the exact 
date for the Ascension, which had 'missed fire' so 
many times before ; and I've seen the Squire stand- 
ing over a stack of law-books arguing a point of 
law with a lot of hot-headed clients from away 
over the hills ; but I've never seen a young begin- 
ner with no practical experience handle a school 
in the way that young professor did. He didn't 
even wait for an introduction by the president of 
the board to the boys and girls sitting around, but 
began operations as if he had been in the business 
longer than old Jimmy himself. Nor did he stop 
to explain to the school how he'd gotten permission 
to step into the shoes of the old master ; nor ask 
the Parson, who was waiting for an invitation, to 



302 Nicholas Com en i us. 

offer the opening prayer, to ease up things a little, 
as was the custom of old Jimmy McCune ; but he 
walked straight up to the desk beside the old 
wood-stove, which was warming up the youngsters 
pretty lively, and setting his foot down firmly and 
looking straight into the faces of the larger boys, 
who were turning and twisting, said : 'We'll open 
school by reading a chapter from the New Testa- 
ment.' I don't recall the whole text, but remem- 
ber distinctly the words ' He that receiveth a 
righteous man in the name of a righteous man 
shall receive a righteous man's reward.' 

" Now for a dozen or more years I'd sat under 
the preaching of the Parson, and I'd heard him 
read many a long chapter before he'd begin his 
discourses on the final ending of the world ; but I 
don't recall any readings to compare with the new 
teacher's. The words as they fell from his lips, so 
clear and forcible, so full of divine inspiration, 
made a deep impression ; but why he chose that 
text I could not at the time understand. 

" That there was a deep meaning and purpose on 
the part of the new teacher, was apparent to all. 
Even the Squire melted, and the whole school 
looked solemn; and I made up my mind that the 
only mistake the teacher made was that he didn't 
get to preaching instead of teaching, as he wasn't 
engaged to read the Scriptures himself, but to let 
the big boys and girls do the reading. It was a 
big feather in his cap with some, but the members 



The New Teacher. 303 

of the Parson's congregation said it was a reflection 
on the minister, and so on this point a dispute 
arose the very next Sunday over in the chapel. It 
seemed like a bad break for the professor to make 
at the very outstart, but it turned out all right in 
the end. 

"The Parson, as has been mentioned, had for 
some years been preaching the ' Millerite' doctrine, 
and only two months before had made his fifth pre- 
diction that the end of all things terrestrial was to 
come to pass the day previous to that of the stated 
meeting in the chapel ; but as he again failed to hit 
the mark, and no ascension took place, there was 
the liveliest kind of a disturbance. So the Parson, 
to account in some way for the mistake in the date, 
charged the failure to the new system, to be forced 
on the people by the new teacher and the Superin- 
tendent. Before the professor came around there 
was no freedom of conscience among the people of 
Emden district, except what was allowed by the 
Parson, who kept a strict watch over the whole 
neighborhood; and Orlando's word was law. Yes, 
the Parson did all the thinking necessary to be 
done, and it saved the people a power of trouble 
and worriment in reconciling all the knotty and 
conflicting points in the Scriptures. 

"Well, the next thing the teacher did after he 
had finished reading the chapter, was to go right 
among the children, and in less than no time he 
had taken down from fifty to sixty names; and 



304 Nicholas Comenius. 

some of them were mighty tough ones at that, such 
as Ebenezer, Ezekiel, Hezekiah, Jeremiah, and the 
like; but when he called the roll he didn't miss a 
single one. Up to that time no particular fault 
could be found with his work, as he was following 
in the master's tracks pretty closely ; but from that 
on he got the Squire and the Board so tangled they 
couldn't begin to keep up with the exercises — and 
yet they couldn't get over the reading of that chap- 
ter in the New Testament, for it kept telling them 
inwardly that perhaps after all they'd better ease 
up a little on the new teacher, and not try to hold 
the reins too tight on him. 

"After he had finished calling the roll, and 
while all were in doubt as to the next move, he 
had the school stand before him in rows — the little 
codgers in the front row and the larger ones be- 
hind them, like a set of soldiers on dress parade. 
Then he unrolled what he termed a newly-invented 
chart, used, as he said, throughout all the New 
England schools, and about half the size of the 
Squire's window shutter, and hung the queer-look- 
ing machine on the wall, right over the heads of 
the trustees. Iyooking around, he soon caught on 
to a sapling about the size of Farmer Stevens' 
wagon-whip. When the eyes of the trustees got a 
view of this they were greatly pleased, for they 
thought after all he still had a little of the masters' 
blood in his veins ; but the big boys standing 
around began to look pale and nervous, for they 



Modern Methods. 305 

didn't know how soon he was going to begin 
operations in the old-fashioned way. 

" However, when he opened up that chart, it was 
all covered over with the queerest lot of ciphering, 
and what he called 'phonics' and 'vowels,' big 
and little words, long and short sentences, so that 
it puzzled even the Squire to figure out what it 
had to do with keeping school in the old way. 
First he took the little codgers on the short words, 
then the larger boys and girls on the large words 
and sentences. When he got through with one 
side he turned the other over, and still kept point- 
ing and the whole school kept repeating after the 
teacher for more than an hour. 

When he finished the geography lesson — which 
almost paralyzed the trustees, for they had never 
before seen a school taught by wholesale — his eyes 
fell at last upon the brightest girl, the eldest 
daughter of Squire Benton. Addressing her in his 
firm but kindly manner he said, " Will Hannah 
please step forward?" And Hannah, the modest, 
unassuming village girl of fourteen, stepped to the 
front, took the pointer from the hand of Robert 
Rayland, and to the surprise of all pointed out and 
repeated word for word the entire lesson as thor- 
oughly as though she had studied the various 
topics for an entire winter. But while this new 
departure, so radically at variance with the estab- 
lished methods of the old system, met with a hearty 
response on the part of the boys and girls of Bm- 
20 



306 Nicholas Comenhis. 

den, there were loud mntterings of disapproval 
among the local authorities. 

" For well-nigh another hour the professor kept 
right along teaching the youngsters by wholesale, 
and running the school according to scientific prin- 
ciples, pretty much to suit himself. He never 
once cast an inquiring look over at the trustees, 
nor in the direction of the Parson, who was stand- 
ing over in the corner taking notes, and preparing 
to take a hand in the exercises when the time 
came for inviting visitors to say a word or two, as 
was the custom under the old master. But as I 
was on the lookout for squalls," continued Nicho- 
las, "I kept my eye now on the professor and then 
on the trustees and the Squire, who were boiling 
all over with rage, waiting their turn to get a 
whack at the school. From what I knew of the 
fighting qualities of the old men in their younger 
days, I felt a little uneasy for the safety of the 
young man ; and so I stepped over to his side in 
the midst of the exercises, and whispered in his ear 
that the safest thing for him to do under the trying 
circumstances was to slip out as soon as the exer- 
cises closed, and strike the shortest trail for Boston.' ' 

" Did he skip the town ?" we asked. 

" Skip? Not if the old man's recollection serves 
him right ! After reading the thirteen verses of the 
thirteenth chapter of Corinthians, and marching 
the whole school in single file around the room, 
then through the doorway, he turned and planted 



Modern Methods. 307 

himself directly in front of the school authorities. 
Looking the old men squarely in the face, he smil- 
ingly said : 

"'Well, gentlemen, I have now tried to do my 
duty to the school to the best of my ability : how 
were you pleased with the first morning's exercises? 
Any suggestions to offer? If so, I shall be pleased 
to hear what you may have to say. ' 

" Now this flank movement on the part of the 
teacher was more than the six district overseers 
had counted on. For a moment they all sat eying 
each other in a quizzical way, then, amid mutter- 
ings of disapproval, one after another attempted to 
rise to the floor. But the teacher gracefully waved 
them back into their seats, and planting himself 
between the Squire and Ebenezer Lukins, the 
President of the Board, said : ' One at a time, 
gentlemen; we'll hear whatever objections you 
may have to make.' It was a mighty well-laid 
plan to capture the old men before they could re- 
cover themselves; and if it hadn't been for the 
shrewdness of the Parson, the young teacher would 
have been master of the situation from that 
moment, without a struggle. 

" But Orlando Hoskins wasn't a believer in the 
new educational system, and had made a vow only 
a few months before that he'd have the young 
stranger out of the school inside of a week ; and it 
was the Parson's teachings that were working on 
the minds of the trustees more than any particular 



3o8 



Nicholas Comenius. 



ill-will the)- bore to the new teacher personally. 
So while the young man was sitting on the long 
bench explaining points of the new doctrines to the 
old men, who were bending over to catch every 

word, the Parson rushed 
up before them with 
clenched fist and said: 
' As your pastor and 
spiritual adviser, I com- 
mand you to bounce this 
young Bostonian instan- 
ter ; otherwise every 
mother's son will be left 
behind when Ascension 
day comes around, and 
the time fixed for the 
Upward Journey isn't 
very far off.' 

"At this peremptory 
summons the whole six 
district fathers made a 
plunge for the door, in 
their haste to unhitch 
and bridle their horses, 
which stood without. A few moments later the 
several officials might have been seen galloping in 
various directions in eager haste to reach their 
homes, lest the fatal moment might overtake them 
on their way. Arm in arm the Squire and the 
Parson jogged along on foot, leaving the young 




ORLANDO HOSKINS. 



Nicholas and Robert. 309 

teacher standing alone within the doorway of the 
now deserted school-room. 

" Seeing the young professor standing there 
alone," continued the aged father, " I couldn't pass 
over to the old homestead with an easy conscience 
without giving him a word of comfort. Of course 
I hadn't much love for the young fellow that had 
robbed old Jimmy of his calling, but as I thought 
over the closing chapter which the teacher read — 
' Though I speak with the tongues of men and of 
angels, and have not charity, I am become as 
sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal ' — I stepped up 
to the door and said : ' Young man, I rather pity 
you; you're a stranger in these parts, trying, I 
suppose, to perform your duty. You don't seem to 
have a friend in the town, unless it be the Squire's 
wife, who has befriended more than one stranger 
when the whole village was against him. It's a 
mighty tough time you'll have at best, in trying to 
plant the seed of the new doctrine in this district. 
The truth is, it isn't the kind of seed that suits the 
soil, nor the kind of soil that suits the seed, and 
that's where the trouble comes in with your teach- 
ing. There's no use in your trying to convert the 
trustees to your new kind of notions until you have' 
first succeeded in converting the Squire and the 
Parson; and that you'll discover to be a mighty 
ticklish operation.' 

" Finding the young master willing to listen, I 
continued: 'While I have no personal feeling 



310 Nicholas Comenius. 

against you, I see your plan of teaching school in 
no way agrees with old Jimmy's. His plan may 
not have suited the youngsters, but it pleased the 
Squire and the Parson immensely, while your plan 
suits the little codgers better than it does the 
trustees. It's the overseers you must reach, young 
man, and to reach them you've got to make terms 
with the Squire and Parson. There's the Squire's 
been running the politics of the district for more 
than forty years, and there has never been a trustee 
elected in all that time that was not the first choice 
of Squire Benton. There is a way of working the 
old man if you can manage to get his daughter 
Hannah on your side; but in doing so beware of 
the Parson, the Parson's wife and Malinda, who 
are mighty jealous of the Squire's wife and his 
young daughter Hannah, to whom you were kind 
of showing partiality this morning by having 
her stand before the whole school pointing to that 
machine over on the wall. 

"'There's a mighty sight of difference, young 
man, in the way of keeping school, as I've observed 
in my day. When the trustees don't want any 
highfaluting studies, it's best to stick to the old 
way of doing things, and give them what they 
want. It's only a hint I'm giving you, but take a 
stranger's advice and send that patent machine off 
to Boston on the first coach. It's plain teaching 
the people want, and in the old way. If you get 
down to retailing out your knowledge, instead of 



Nicholas and Robert. 311 

wholesaling- it; if you'll call the youngsters up one 
at a time and let them read the Scriptures them- 
selves, and stand your ground for a year or two, 
maybe you'll come out all right in the end.' 

"As I kept looking down at the old step, then 
up at the young master, I couldn't help feeling 
kindly toward him, as he stood with a big tear 
rolling down his cheek ; but he never said a word. 
It was getting well nigh time I should be over at 
the farm ; so I took him by the hand, and said : 
' You seem like a young man of good home train- 
ing, that has come over to these parts to earn an 
honest living in keeping school. It may be up-hill 
business to secure respectable quarters for one of 
your style of living. If you can't get accommo- 
dations over at the inn, perhaps I may be able to 
help you. So good-by. ' 

" And as I turned to leave him, he placed his 
hand upon my shoulder, and looking into my eyes, 
and then at the old stone house, spoke in language 
so full of hope and tender feeling, that for a 
moment I scarce knew where I stood. Then, as 
he drew from within his pocket a small Bible, he 
concluded, ' Though the way be dark and gloomy, 
yet within this little book shall I find consolation.' 

"It was a sad parting, my friends; and as I 
passed through the gate to the old homestead, I 
saw the young master turn the key in the old door, 
and then pass onward by the old oak toward the 
village, as I supposed for the last time." 




(312) HANNAH DIRECTS ROBERT TO THE INN. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

SEEKING QUARTERS — THE GENERAL WASHINGTON 
— "INSUBORDINATION" — A FRIEND IN NEED. 

When Robert Rayland left the school-house on 
that lovely autumn noon he met with no words of 
encouragement save those of Nicholas Comenius, 
but quietly and alone, in communion with his own 
inward thoughts, went in search of bed and board. 
Not knowing which way to go, as the boys and 
girls had preceded him in their anxiety to carry to 
their homes their impressions of the new teacher, 
he halted at the intersection of the only two streets 
in the village, when Hannah, the fair, bright-eyed 
girl to whom he had handed the pointer but a 
short while before, stepped forward and in a clear, 
gentle voice, said: "Is it the inn you are looking 
for? Come, and I will direct you." So, walking 
side by side, they soon reached the only tavern in 
the town, a dingy two-story structure, built away 
back in the early part of the seventeenth century. 
Giving his young guide a pleasant 'Thank you,' 
he stood for a moment beside the old sign-post, on 
which was suspended a large-sized image of George 
Washington and directly beneath, the word "Inn." 

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The General Washington. 3 1 5 

For a moment he stood, interested in one of those 
ponderous Conestoga teams, with white canvas 
covers drawn tightly over the bows, laden with 
grain, pork and poultry, and drawn by eight strong 
horses, equipped with rows of bells, their constant 
jingle keeping time with the horses' hoofs on the 
solid compact road, as they passed through the vil- 
lage. Echoing through hill and dale he distinctly 
heard the sounds of the antiqiiated stage-horn, 
which in days gone by gave promise to mine host 
of well-filled coffers. A moment later there came 
rushing up to the old inn a stage coach, drawn by 
a spanking team of four-in-hand, and bearing on 
its sides the legend, " United States Mail." A few 
minutes' halt, exchange of mails, and with a flour- 
ish on the horn the stage was again on its rapid 
way, and Robert, opening the rickety old door, 
found himself in the midst of a gaping crowd of 
hangers-on. Some lounged on benches, others 
leaned against the dingy bar, behind which stood 
the form of the portly landlord, dealing out 
draughts of that deadly poison, the very fumes of ' 
which nearly took the breath of Robert Rayland, 
and almost made him regret he had ever left his 
quiet and happy New England home. The inn- 
keeper being thus busily engaged in appeasing the 
thirst of the "regulars," Robert was left to bide 
his time, and how long he might have waited he 
knew not, had not Hannah stepped through the 
open door, and in a low sweet voice addressed the 



3 1 6 Nicholas Comenius. 

host : " Mr. Bently, this is the new teacher, and 
mother says you should please give, him the best 
room in the house." With this remark she dis- 
appeared as quietly as she had entered. 

Adjusting his spectacles beneath his heavy brows, 
and surveying the new-comer from head to foot, 
Oscar exclaimed, in the vernacular so common to 
by-way inns of that day: "And so you are the 
young professor the new Superintendent sent to 
take the place of old Jimmy McCune? You look 
like a slick sort of a chap with no whiskers on 
your face, but I don't think you'll ever suit the 
trustees of this district. However, as the Squire's 
wife has given you a recommend, I guess we'll 
have to find a room somewhere that isn't occupied 
by the regulars. How long we'll keep you will 
depend ; that is, the fellow that expects the best 
room in the house mustn't be too particular what 
he eats and drinks, and must be liberal down here 
at the bar ; because with the high price of pork 
and other provisions nowadays, a landlord might 
as well shut up shop and go to teaching school 
himself, unless his boarders fall in and give him a 
lift at the bar. So the price of good living will 
depend ; that is, we'll take you on trial for a week, 
and maybe the price will go up, and maybe it'll go 
down; and if the latter, it'll be because the spirits 
go down accordingly — understand, eh ?' ' 

Whether Robert Ray land took in the exact situ- 
ation he gave no outward indication, either from 



The General Washington. 317 

his expression or his manner ; but wheeling on his 
heel he sought the bright outer world, where he 
stood for a moment, his eye resting on the sign- 
board, from which the face of George Washington 
was reflected in the soft rays of the autumn sun- 
shine. Long and intently he gazed on those noble 
features, now faded almost beyond recognition by 
the blasts of many a long winter. His reflections 
naturally carried him back to his boyhood days at 
school, and he vividly recalled the first book he 
had ever read. It was none other than the life and 
character of this same George Washington ; and as 
he surmised that possibly the old tavern stood not 
far from a famous Revolutionary battle-field, he 
concluded that it was altogether possible that in 
years gone by, he too might have occupied the best 
room in the old inn. With these thoughts revolv- 
ing through his mind, a new inspiration seemed to 
revive within him, and he reasoned within himself 
that what George Washington had withstood, 
Robert Rayland might also survive. 

A moment later, however, he was awakened from 
his meditation by the sound of voices that seemed 
to reach his ear from an open window of a red 
sandstone dwelling on the opposite side of the 
road; a structure so antiquated and so unsightly as 
to bear the unmistakable imprint of the last 
century, and on the door of which was painted in 
large letters "Law Office of Squire Benton." It 
was also evident from the intonations which fell 



3 1 8 Nicholas Contemns. 

upon his ear, that among- the voices there was at 
least one female striving for the ascendency in the 
argument, whatever the subject might be. 

Before he could realize the cause of this sudden 
and unexpected commotion, his attention was at- 
tracted in quite an opposite direction. In the 
vicinity of the village school a motley crowd had 
gathered, for what purpose he could only surmise. 

At this moment the portly form of the inn- 
keeper appeared at the door, announcing that the 
noon-day meal was now ready. Whatever appetite 
Robert may have had when he left the school- 
room was banished by the general appearance of 
the surroundings ; yet he had but one alternative — 
either to seek quarters elsewhere, whither he knew 
not, or fall into line with the regulars. Following 
the proprietor through the bar-room, and thence 
along a dingy passage with low ceiling, he reached 
the dining-room, if this modern term may be ap- 
plied to what was nothing more or less than a cold 
and cheerless room extending the entire length of 
the building. A pale glimmer came through the 
four small windows, with their four-by-six lights. 
If the blue-marked walls were uninviting, how 
much more so was the table, with a gray oil-cloth 
covering whose ragged edges indicated its age, and 
along both sides of which extended slab benches, 
without backs, over one of which it was necessary 
for the teacher to step in order to crowd himself 
between two of the regulars as best as he could, 



The General Washington. 3 1 9 

For a moment Robert sat in bewilderment, sur- 
veying an immense bowl which stood in the centre 
of the table, and an old-fashioned tin dipper in 
the hand of the trusty landlord, who was at that 
moment engaged in dealing out a plentiful supply 
of what he termed pumpkin-hash, a dainty and 
familiar dish "not to be sneezed at" by the 
hangers-on in the only tavern in the town of 
Emden. A second supply was tendered Robert 
long before he had exhausted the first, and upon 
his refusal to hand up his dish a second time, the 
burly inn-keeper grew impatient, and looking him 
straight in the face said : " Young man, I see you 
aren't accustomed to good living. Now pumpkin- 
hash in September and October is like turkey at 
Christmas, or pork and beans in January. It's 
stimulating and good for the blood ; in fact it beats 
snapper soup all hollow, and why shouldn't it? 
Look at the pumpkins out in the field, growing 
among the corn and turnips. Of course you're 
from the city, and aren't used to the flavor ; but in 
time your taste will be cultivated so that you'll 
want it like the regulars, every day in the week 
and twice on Sunday. My good woman's been 
making and I've been serving this dish out to the 
boys for more than twenty years every September 
and October, and I tell you it knocks all your high- 
toned bills-of-fare higher than a kite. In fact I've 
had old Dr. Henry diagnose the whole pumpkin 
family, and he has certified in writing that the 



320 Nicholas Comenius. 

yellow pumpkin will cure more ailments than half 
the drugs in the materia medica. It will cure 
dyspepsia and laziness in any young fellow that 
hasn't got anything more to do than keep school 
and mind the children. It beats the bayberry 
bush at curing the toothache, and discounts Seneca 
rattlesnake oil at making the whiskers grow. So 
take my word, young man, and eat a plentiful 
supply of pumpkin-hash. Have another dish? 
Well, maybe by supper time you'll enjoy fried 
turnips and carrots, another dish that'll help diges- 
tion even better than the hash, if it hasn't got the 
flavor." 

After Robert had succeeded in getting one foot 
and then the other over the old bench, had reached 
the bar-room, and was in the act of selecting his 
hat, which had become part of a heap of possibly 
more than a dozen, of every size, shape and color, 
proposing to seek relief in an adjoining field where 
the yellow pumpkins lay basking in the bright 
sunshine in all the glory of an October noon, he 
was met by the shrill voice of the inn-keeper, who 
had followed him into the bar-room : 

"Want a little spirits to settle your dinner? 
Have got something nice and mild that's invigorat- 
ing to the system. A little after dinner always 
makes the regulars feel cheerful, and whets up 
their appetites for something stronger later in the 
day. It's what always stimulated the mental fac- 
ulties of the old masters, and set their minds to 



The General Washington. 321 

working like a spinning wheel when in the school- 
room. If yon aren't prepared to plank down the 
cash we'll start where Michael O'Farrel left off, 
and yon can settle np at the end of the month, 
when the trustees pay off in hard cash. Here's 
Michael's account-book still open for the last 
month, unsettled, and maybe you'll obligate your- 
self to square up his account when you pay your 
own. You see, the example set by the new teacher 
at the start has a powerful effect on the whole 
district. If he's polite and accommodating, and 
stands treat now and then, it kind of keeps up the 
reputation of the house ; but if he's stuck-up and 
high-minded, and won't take good advice, he'll run 
ashore before he's been in the district a month. 

"So I tell you it's the General Washington inn 
that's done more in shaping public opinion around 
this neck of woods than all the school-houses in the 
district. There's the Squire across the way, who's 
been dealing out law for more than forty years, has 
been taking his nips three times a day, unbeknown 
to his woman, who's a mighty intelligent sort of a 
housewife, but her head's twisted so badly on tem- 
perance and manners, education and the like, that 
you can hear them arguing for hours at a time. 
Yes, the Squire would have been lying in the old 
churchyard over there long ago, or gone clear 
beside himself from worry, if he hadn't lost the 
hearing of his right ear, or couldn't get something 
comforting over here at the bar to ease up his mind 
21 



322 Nicholas Comenius. 

a little after the old lady's got him all tangled up. 
May be you'd better take a seat, for the Squire'll 
be along for a nip as soon as the argument ends 
which has been going on for over an hour in the 
office. Take my word for it, young stranger, and 
don't get mixed up with the women-folks of this 
town, or you might just as well pack up and take 
the next stage for Boston. It's as plain as teaching 
school that you can't play in with the Squire and 
the old lady at the same time. You might as well 
try to mix the water from the old well with the 
straight stuff from the old still, and expect to get 
it off on the Squire as the genuine article." 

The next moment there was a sudden creaking 
of the door leading from the hall-way, and Squire 
Benton, pale and nervous, stood at his accustomed 
place at the bar. He made no effort to indicate 
his mission, for before he had made it known the 
keen instinct of Oscar Bently had placed before 
him a little brown jug. After satisfying his thirst, 
and before he could turn to depart, his eye, keen 
and piercing, fell on the form of Robert Rayland. 
Drawing a small slip of paper from his pocket he 
handed it to Robert, saying, "Read this!" and 
without trying to explain its contents withdrew. 

For a moment Robert sat spellbound on the long 
bench, holding the note unopened in his hand. 
Then he rose and left the bar-room, without a 
word, and walked away slowly in the direction of 
the school-house. A few moments later he might 



'Insubordination!'' 



323 



have been seen standing before the old building, 
where he opened the Squire's note and read : 

" School closed. Report at the office of Squire Benton at 
seven to-morrow evening, to answei the charge of insubordina- 
tion." 




On the panel of the door he also read, " Closed 
on account of insubordination of teacher." 

Whatever effect the environments of the old inn 
and its surroundings may have produced on Robert 



324 Nicholas Com cuius. 

Rayland during the one short hour when he took 
his first meal therein, he was no longer the half- 
hearted individual he had been the moment before, 
when almost determined in his own mind to yield 
to conditions which he was led to believe he could 
never control. From the very depths of his inner 
nature a self confidence seemed to arise, and he 
stood strong in the strength of his own character 
and manhood. Tearing the note into fragments, and 
rising equal to the occasion, he exclaimed: "Yes, 
stranger though I am, yet will I face not only 
the Squire and his emissaries, but a regiment of 
school officers, if necessary." 

Pursuing his way in the opposite direction, 
where he might commune alone with nature and 
his own thoughts, he at last reached a cluster of 
cedars, beneath which he sat himself down to medi- 
tate over the course he was going to pursue in the 
trying ordeal that awaited him. How many 
thoughts of home and its associations throbbed 
through his mind ! Was the compensation equal 
to the sacrifice he had made, in abandoning home 
and friends to accept a situation in a backwoods 
district, surrounded by deep-rooted prejudices 
which it might take years to eradicate? While 
these meditations were uppermost in his mind, he 
was startled by the sweet voice of Hannah Benton. 
He was hardly able to realize his position when a 
note was handed to him, the bearer hurriedly de- 
parting. A glance at the inscription satisfied him 



Mrs. Benton Encourages Robert. 



o-^D 



that it was not the Squire's handwriting. It read 
as follows : 

" Mr. Rayland : You are a stranger in our village, but fear 
not; you have one friend here who will see that justice is done 
you. Stand firm. Your cause is a just one, and justice must 
always prevail in the office of Squire Benton. 

"Mary Benton." 

Retracing his steps, he was soon within the 
shadow of the old inn, around which had congre- 
gated a number of idle loungers, intently engaged 
in discussing the probable outcome of the trial. 
Foremost among the motley gathering was a tall, 
handsome-looking man of perhaps forty, of more 
than the average intelligence. His remarks were 
distinctly audible to Robert as he stood half- 
concealed behind the old town pump, which had 
done service for many a long year in quenching 
the thirst of man and beast. 

"I'll tell you now, men," said he, "that young 
chap is going to come out of this scrimmage with- 
out losing a feather, because the Squire's wife is 
on his side and against the old man. I know what 
I'm saying, for I heard the fracas along about noon 
over at the office, where the Squire was reading up 
the law on insubordination. Before he had got 
more than half through, the old lady took the big 
book and pointed out the law to the Squire and 
turned down the corner of the page, and that 
settled it. There'll be no conviction in this case 
unless Mrs. Benton gets another spell of the 



326 Nicholas Comenius. 

rheumatism before trie thing comes to trial ; and I 
don't think there is any danger in that direction, 
for she's been flying around with Hannah and the 
other girls all day, in better spirits than I've seen 
her in twenty years. If they convict the young 
professor they'll have to bounce the whole crowd, 
for I heard the Squire say that all the other 
teachers had been suspended for teaching the same 
kind of pernicious doctrines." 

This last expression satisfied Robert that, what- 
ever the outcome might be, he would not stand 
alone in the ordeal which awaited him. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

EMDEN FAIR WEEK — ORLANDO'S UNFULFILLED 
PROPHECY. 

Many indeed were the strange visions which 
disturbed the slumbers of Robert Rayland in his 
dismal attic during the first night's sojourn at the 
General Washington. However well fortified he 
may have been against the superstitious influences 
that surrounded the native inhabitants, the very 
appearance of the dingy stairway over which he 
directed his steps by the pale glimmer of a tallow 
dip, produced within him a feeling of loneliness. 
As the long hours wore on, the creaking of a door 
on rusty hinges, the rattling of a window sash, the 
gnawing of a chipmunk within the cornice of the 
weather-beaten roof, unconsciously acted upon his 
imagination. Forebodings of coming trouble with 
the crusty Oscar, grave apprehensions as to the 
result of the trial upon which his own position 
depended, the lurking opposition of Orlando Hos- 
kins — all these combined to render the long night 
one of intense anxiety. 

At the first hour of returning day, however, 
Robert's attention was directed toward the Market 

327 



Fair Week at Emden. 329 

Square, which extended directly beyond the gable 
of the historic hostelry. What strange combina- 
tion of circumstances had so suddenly transformed 
this staid old thoroughfare, in so short a time, into 
a Babel of moving, active life ? As far as the eye 
could penetrate, every available foot of space 
seemed to be occupied by a motley crowd of grunt- 
ing, noisy animals, rickety carts, cackling fowls, 
and nondescript horses. The Bedlam of sounds 
which met his ear was equaled only by the hurry- 
to and fro of men, women and children in their 
efforts to arrange their products to the best possible 
advantage. To his bewildered mind it seemed 
that the entire rural community had during the 
early morning hours deserted home and fireside, 
accompanied by all their earthly possessions. 
Even the pigs from the sty, the sheep from the 
fold, the lazy curs from the kennel; mothers with 
squalling babies in their arms, followed by sprawl- 
ing youngsters at their heels — all had taken pos- 
session of the Square and its surroundings, but for 
what purpose Robert was unable to determine. 
Prompted by curiosity, and a desire to learn the 
cause of this sudden upheaval, Robert dressed him- 
self, and a few moments later stood face to face 
with the erratic proprietor of the famous inn. 

"Ah, ha, my young friend," said Oscar, greet- 
ing Robert with outstretched hand; "a pretty 
early riser for a young schoolmaster! Take my 
advice and keep retiring early and rising with the 



330 Nicholas Comenius. 

lark, and you'll grow rich by the saving of tallow 
dips alone. Up early preparing for the trial, eh ? 
Awfully sorry you've made such a break in your 
first day's teaching, for I've kind of taken a liking 
to your ways, even if they don't suit the trustees. 
Keep an observing eye on the Squire's office across 
the way, for there's something brewing unbeknown 
to the Squire, but it's hard to reckon out whether 
it's in your favor or against you. I noticed the 
best horse in the stable's been missing since long 
before daylight, and the best rider in the village is 
astraddle of 'Captain Jim,' galloping away to the 
Capital with a message from Hannah's mother. 
It may be encouraging news to you, and it may be 
the reverse; but keep a-hoping, young man. Have 
a nip on the sly before the crowd comes pouring in 
and the commotion begins?" 

"Commotion?" repeated Robert, who was not 
without serious misgivings lest the crowd had 
already come to witness the trial, which was to 
take place during the early evening. 

"Why, young man, have you never attended a 
country fair? Come now, and don't be pleading 
your ignorance. Never hear of Emden Fair week ? 
Biggest thing on earth when it gets under full 
blast, and known all over the land, from Canada to 
the Gulf. Take my advice, young man, and get 
to practicing on your muscle, for your fine clothes 
and occupation will get you into a fracas with the 
wild lads of Shaky Hollow before you've seen more 



Fair Week at Emden. 3 3 1 

than half the sights. Keep your hand on your 
wallet, and don't get to betting on the first horse 
in sight. Yes, take an old man's advice and keep 
an observing eye on the jugglers and fellows prowl 1 
ing around, the fakirs and light-fingered gentry, 
and don't pick 'em up for hayseeds, or you'll be 
short in your boarding account before the week's 
half round. Fair week ! why, bless my stars, it's 
worth more to the General Washington than half- 
a dozen years of camp-meeting, and discounts 
circus and battalion days two to one. It's a great 
school for educating the public, and gives the 
young men on the farms more practical experience 
than the masters could give them out of books in a 
life-time. It's a wonderful help to the village, and 
starts money flowing around the General Washing- 
ton freer than air; for it's an old saying, that when 
the landlord's prosperous and the potato crop's a 
success, there's no danger of a famine. 

"If my memory serves me right," continued 
Oscar, as he cast an observing eye through the 
window at a long line of conveyances passing 
toward the Square, "there's been only one Fair 
week in the history of the village that didn't 
measure up in size and standing, and it came 
mighty near bankrupting the whole town. It 
wasn't the fault of the weather, nor the hard times 
either; for the crops had been bountiful, and the 
prices had gone up a peg or two in anticipation of 
a skirmish between Mexico and Uncle Sam. No, 



332 Nicholas Coin cuius. 

it was owing to what some call a Divine visitation, 
threatened by the Parson, to punish the wicked 
sinners of the town who had been neglecting their 
spiritual duties, and giving all their attention to 
worldly affairs." 

"The Parson?" mildly interposed Robert, anx- 
ious to learn anything of interest concerning the 
aged minister, whom he had cause to fear. " Was 
the Parson running the Fair?" 

"No, it wasn't his running it that brought on 
the trouble, but his bursting up the machine 
before it had gotten under full head of steam. 
Understand, it all came about in a miraculous sort 
of way, and many of the people haven't gotten 
over the scare, and aren't likely to till their dying 
day. It occurred in this way," said Oscar, with a 
motion of his short, stubby arm. "While the 
Parson was reckoning on a bright, crisp morning 
for the 'send off,' he accidentally struck the mid- 
dle of Fair week for the appointed day, and kept 
the secret tied up in his bosom until he had gotten 
all the wicked old sinners planted, with all their 
earthly possessions, right over in front of the 
parsonage. It's an awful sad story I'm relating, 
young man, and to think of it starts the cold 
shivers running down my back faster than the 
blood passes through my veins; for it was a 
mighty narrow escape for old Oscar to make, and 
still be doing business at the old stand. 

"You see, while the proprietor of the General 



Orlando s Prophecy. 333 

Washington was standing behind the bar, making 
the young chaps feel kind o' merry, and while the 
whole town was promenading around, taking a 
hand in the races and betting their last dollar on 
their favorite nag, the Parson stepped over into the 
thickest of the crowd and began proclaiming at 
the top of his voice : ' Gentlemen, I see you have 
all been having a pretty lively time winning and 
losing, but it's time you're turning your attention 
to spiritual affairs. Better stop to consider what 
preparations you've all been making for the Up- 
ward Journey ; for the time has arrived, and the 
hour is set for the Ascension, ten to-night, full 
moon.' 

" You seem to be smiling and making light of 
my story ; but if you had been old Oscar instead 
of a stripling of a master, you'd have more practi* 
cal experience and less of what they call theory in 
your get-up. It was a sorrowful occasion, and the 
announcement came so sudden that even those 
who were enjoying the hospitality of the house 
rushed out, one after the other, forgetting to square 
up for the last round, which is still on the slate, 
unsettled. But out on the race-track, among the 
'professionals' who came from the city, there was 
the liveliest kind of a commotion. In less than 
five minutes by the sun-dial, every old sinner who 
had been reaping in the cold cash from his next- 
door neighbor got to paying it back with interest, 
by way of easing up his conscience. Then the 



334 Nicholas Comenius. 

fellows that were swearing the hardest got to pray- 
ing the loudest 

" My young friend, have you ever seen a camp- 
meeting broken up by a hornet's nest at the very 
moment the congregation was shouting and rejoic- 
ing the loudest? Well, before night came along 
there wasn't a sign left of the Fair, except a lot of 
provisions and a stray horse here and there. It 
was the worst stampede that ever befell the coun- 
try since George Washington drove the Hessians 
out of the old fort beyond. It was easy enough 
getting out of town for some, who took to their 
heels, and over the fields and fences they went fly- 
ing, expecting every moment to feel old Satan 
hanging to their coat-tails. But the worst scared 
chaps you ever laid your eyes on were the profes- 
sionals, who came to teach the country boys how 
to make enough money in a week to keep them in 
easy circumstances for the balance of the year. 
Yes, it was the first experience of a religious turn 
that they'd ever had; and on they came rushing, 
one after the other, up to the door of the General 
Washington, looking as pale as death and inquir- 
ing for the departure of the first stage, which 
wasn't booked to arrive until the following morn- 
ing." 

"Converted to the Parson's new doctrine?" 
asked Robert. 

"Well, some were and some weren't ; but as the 
time set for the Upward Journey was approaching, 



The Gamblers Scared. 335 

I felt it was a pretty sad predicament they'd gotten 
themselves into, away from their families and 
friends ; so I took pity on them and said : ' As you 
look rather crestfallen and broken up, I shall be 
only too happy to make your last moments as easy 
as the circumstances will permit. If you need any 
spiritual advice, I'll send for the Parson, who's a 
mighty forgiving kind of a man under such trying 
circumstances. Or if you want to make your will, 
I'll send over for the Squire, who's got more than 
a hundred of those documents stored away in his 
iron chest for safe-keeping in case a stray relative 
should turn up here and there after the ceremonies.' 

"Then I approached the leader, who was lean- 
ing against the bar for support, like this," con- 
tinued Oscar, imitating the action, " for he looked 
as if he had been a sinner all his life, and said to 
him, 'Maybe, old man, your winnings are troub- 
ling your conscience more than is good for your 
health. You see, there's a disadvantage in carry- 
ing the precious metal and the cards around in 
your clothes, as the weight may interfere with the 
Upward Journey, and prevent your getting a seat 
in the front row beside the Parson and his family.' 
But he only shook his head in a sorrowful way. 
By this time a change seemed to be working in the 
young professionals, but the hardened old sinners, 
dressed up in their broadcloth and diamonds, kept 
swearing one minute and praying the next. 

"For a time I couldn't understand what kept 



336 Nicholas Comenius. 



the old wood stove boiling and steaming, for there 
hadn't been a stick of hickory thrown in for more 
than an hour. But I soon made a discovery. First 
one pack of cards went in, and then another; and 
after they'd gotten rid of the cards, thimbles and 
the like, they all took their seats around the stove 
and began confessing their sins one to another, for 
parting company with the cards seemed to ease up 
their feelings. After more than half an hour of 
this confessional, one after another arose, and their 
leader said : 'Old man, it's a mighty sad predica- 
ment we're in, and no way of getting out of the 
town except going out with the old minister in a 
way we're not accustomed to traveling; but we're 
all reconciled to joining the procession.' It was a 
curious sight to look into the faces of those men, I 
can assure you." 

"And did the Squire take charge of the cash.?" 
inquired Robert. 

" No, they said they'd take the chance of taking 
it with them ; and if it hadn't been for Amelia, 
who had been keeping an eye on the strangers, 
they'd have skipped out without settling up their 
account with the General Washington." 

"And so," remarked Robert, "the proprietor 
of the General Washington had also become recon- 
ciled to leaving all his earthly possessions behind?" 

" Let me tell you, young man, an old soldier of 
the war of 1812 has no fear. It's Oscar Bently 
who has kept his eye on the old General out on the 



Seeing the Fair. 35J 

sign-board — General Washington, first in war, first 
in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." 

"But how comes it you are still in evidence, 
dealing out the straight unadulterated spirits?" 
suggested Robert. 

"Ah, ha, my inquisitive young friend," retorted 
Oscar, with a slight twitch of his shoulder; "it 
was all a mistake in the date of the old almanac." 

The rumbling of heavy wheels, the tread of 
horses' hoofs, and a moment later there alighted 
from the old stage-coach a contingent of profes- 
sionals who pressed their way into the inn, and 
whom Robert recognized as members of the class 
described in Oscar's story. So he left them to the 
tender mercies of their host. 

A few hours later, Robert, in company with one 
of the other professors who had come to see the 
Fair, was strolling here and there amid the hurly- 
burly of excitement which everywhere held sway. 
In fact, it was his first object lesson in industrial 
economy, and presented to his young mind a new 
condition in rural life. And yet, while the ex- 
ternal conditions surrounding the population of 
Emden were vastly different from those under 
which he had been trained, his education had been 
such as to adapt him to different phases of life. 
Physically, he possessed no outward indications of 
muscular strength ; but his gymnastic training had 
fitted him for any emergency that might arise, 
either within or without the school-room. And 
22 



338 Nicholas Comenius. 

while Robert was at all times diffident and reserved 
in his demeanor, his high moral courage never 
failed him, even under the most trying circum- 
stances. 

While engaged in pursuing the natural bent of 
his mind, Robert was besieged on all sides by a 
gaping crowd of rustics, who, having discovered 
his identity, kept pressing around him. In the 
distance he distinctly saw the tall, slender form of 
Jeremiah Todd, a former master, surrounded by a 
score or more of the populace, and beyond was the 
aged Parson. As the crowd came rushing toward 
him a shout rent the air, and for the first time he 
realized the peril in which he had placed himself. 

It was fighting and racing week for the young 
bloods, who had been practising at barn-raisings, 
corn-huskings and the like ; and as they were in 
for a tilt, a strawger always suited their purpose 
better than one of their own set. Of course there 
wasn't much danger of the young professor being 
double-teamed, for it was fair play and honest deal- 
ing with a stranger in a scrimmage, as it was in a 
trade or in bidding at a sale. If two bidders 
claimed the same horse and a dispute arose, a 
knock-down argument settled the ownership, while 
the other boys formed a ring and kept hands off. 
It was the worst of times for a teacher to be walk- 
ing around " on his dignity," as most of the young 
chaps had been schooling under masters who were 
growing too old to keep up their end of the line ; 



Robert is Challenged. 339 

and it only needed a word from any one of the old 
men to start the ball rolling, and that word was 
soon supplied, for it was noised around the public 
square that the young professor had said he "could 
layout any lad in the town of Emden." There 
wasn't a word of truth in the report, of course; but 
it wasn't the truth they were seeking, so much as 
a chance to punish the new-comer for robbing old 
Jimmy of his calling. 

"We'll send him a challenge in writing," said 
Paul Sanders, a six-footer, to a dozen others who 
had gathered around, "and we'll find out what 
kind of metal he's made of." 

"And I'll second the motion," said young Jere 
Todd. 

"I'll write the challenge and deliver it to the 
young stranger," spoke forth Pat McGinnis, who 
was known throughout Emden district as Reckless 
Pat. 

Seeing this unruly mob pressing towards him, 
Robert's first impulse was to make an effort to 
reach the old inn, and thus extricate himself as 
best he could from his unpleasant surroundings ; 
but as the words "Fear not, your cause is a just 
one," flashed through his mind, he turned, faced 
his pursuers, and with a look of determination in 
his eye, said: "Gentlemen, what does all this 
mean ?" 

"Read this," said Pat, as he thrust a small slip 
of paper into his hand. 



34° Nicholas Comcnins. 

"I see, gentlemen," said Robert, in his calm, 
dignified manner: "It is a challenge to Robert 
Rayland, the new teacher, to disgrace the position 
he holds by entering into a personal contest with 
the young men of the village without provocation." 

" Yes, but it's one at a time and fair play," said 
Pat, who stood facing the professor. 

"Well, gentlemen," retorted Robert, "I hope 
you'll excuse me, for I've never had a personal 
controversy with any one in my life; and until now, 
have never received a challenge of any kind." 

" Come now, young man, no apologizing ! Form 
a ring, boys, and we'll see what kind of metal the 
young schoolmaster's made of," said Paul Sanders. 

"One moment, gentlemen," said Robert, as the 
crowd began to hustle him toward the centre of the 
ring; " who are the ringleaders in this disgraceful 
proceeding?" 

A moment later there stood facing him Paul 
Sanders, the champion of Shaky Hollow ; Jere 
Todd, a wayward son of Jeremiah the master, and 
Reckless Pat, as he was known and feared at every 
backwoods gathering — a trio of young pugilists, 
whose frequent encounters had made their names 
famous among the denizens of Shaky Hollow. 

"Now, gentlemen, I regret exceedingly to be 
placed in this most disgraceful attitude; but as I 
have never shirked a duty, I shall not hesitate to 
defend my fair name and manhood. All I ask is 
fair play and one at a time." 



Robert Defends Himself. 



341 



As Robert stepped forward as fearless as though 
he were entering the old school-house, a shout rent 
the air, and by his side stood the rugged form of 
old Patrick McDeever, the discarded master of 
Shaky Hollow school, with the exclamation: 




ROBERT DEFENDS HIMSELE. 



"And by my faith, young mon, and it's fair play 
ye shall have, or Patrick McDeever' s body will be 
lying cold on the ground before ye." 

A moment later there came rushing from the 



34 2 Nicholas Comenius. 

direction of the old hostelry a contingent of regu- 
lars, headed by old Oscar, whose purpose was to 
rescue Robert by main force and convey him out 
of harm's way. 

"No, gentlemen," said Robert, as he motioned 
his rescuers aside (having divested himself of coat 
and hat): " We'll start with the ringleader." 

The next instant Paul Sanders sprang before 
him, stripped to the waist, and with a plunge 
rushed at the young teacher with a well-directed 
blow, the effect of which the young man warded 
off with his left arm; and with a counter-stroke of 
his right fist on the side of Paul's neck, sent him 
sprawling headlong among the bystanders. 

Before he could regain his feet, the young 
teacher called in a pleasant voice, " Next !" And 
as Reckless Pat made a bound forward, the young 
teacher kept warding off the blows one after the 
other in a playful way, without attempting to de- 
liver a blow in return. This manoeuvering on the 
part of the young man seemed to exasperate the 
Irish lad; and as he made a desperate effort to 
clinch ill on the young teacher, he was met by 
three terrific blows, following each other in quick 
succession, which landed him squarely on the 
broad of his back, where he lay until the young 
men stepped over and raised him to his feet. 

Turning and surveying the crowd, Robert called 
out; "Come gentlemen, it's getting late; who's 
next?" 



Robert Victorious. 



did 



With these words a shout rent the air, and Paul 
Sanders, limping forward, held out his hand and 
said: "Young man, I want to ask your pardon, 
and I want to make a confession. I see there is no 
use in we un's standing up fighting against 
science. You don't seem to be more than half our 
weight, but you're a fighter on scientific principles, 
and there's no use in comparing muscle to science." 

Then Robert, shaking the would-be champion 
by the hand, said: "Are you all satisfied, gentle- 
men; if so, we'll continue our sight-seeing with- 
out further delay." 

It took but a little while for the news to spread 
to every part of the Fair grounds; and as the 
crowd began congratulating the young master he 
simply turned and said: " There's no occasion for 
congratulations, gentlemen. What I've done was 
simply the demand of stern duty, and reflects little 
honor upon my character or standing." And off 
he marched, as unconcernedly as if nothing un- 
usual had occurred. 

When the news reached the Parson, he shook 
his head and murmured to himself: "Yes, yes, 
this young man must be gotten rid of at the trial 
this very night, or Orlando Hoskins is a ruined 
minister of the gospel." 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

THE TEACHER ON TRIAL — MOTHER BENTON IN- 
TERPOSES — INSUBORDINATION IN THE CITY — 
CHANGE OF QUARTERS — VILLAGE GOSSIP. 

As the warm October sun disappeared behind 
the distant hills and the shades of twilight began 
to cast their shadows over Kmden, here and there 
might have been noticed a horseman moving in 
the direction of Squire Benton's law office; and 
when the hour of seven arrived there sat in the 
large square room, with its low ceiling and three 
dismal windows, the six trustees, with the high- 
topped beavers they always wore on important 
occasions, the Squire and Robert Ray land; while 
around the outside, crowding the windows, half 
the villagers of Emden had gathered. After the 
Squire had succeeded in arranging side by side a 
number of legal authorities consisting of some half 
dozen shelf-worn law books, their appearance indi- 
cating that they had done service in Revolutionary 
times, he read the charges and produced the con- 
tract, signed by Robert Ray land some four months 
before. 

Dressed in his stylish outfit and drawing his red 
344 



The Teacher on Trial. 345 

bandanna from his hat, he began by saying: " Mr. 
President and Gentlemen of the School Board of 
Emden district, for nigh unto forty years I have 
practiced law in this village, and in all my experi- 
ence I have never had a case appealed to Court, for 
when I give my opinion that settles it; but gentle- 
men of the Board, here is a young man charged 
with trying to break down the school system, by 
sowing seeds of a new doctrine. He isn't follow- 
ing in the steps of Jimmy McCune, as he promised 
to do. Now I have looked up the law and medi- 
tated over it, and the verdict of the court is that 
insubordination means, according to Blackstone, 
disobedience to lawful authority. The school has 
been closed, and it is for you, the trustees, to say 
whether Robert Ray land is to continue the teach- 
ing of all kinds of new-fangled ideas, or to pack up 
his trunk and get out of town on the first stao-e. 
Gentlemen of the Board, you have been witnesses 
over in the old school, and as seeing is believing, 
it is for you to accept the law; and I now pro- 
nounce Robert Rayland guilty in manner and form 
as he stands indicted. Shall the young professor 
be dismissed, and the ever-faithful Jimmy McCune 
be elected to fill his place?' 1 

A vote was taken, and as the Squire was about 
to declare Jimmy victorious, a woman of perhaps 
fifty years, neatly attired, stepped from a side door, 
and handing a heavily-sealed envelope, bearing the 
coat of arms of the State, to the Squire, said in a 



The Verdict Set Aside. 347 

clear voice: "I demand that you withhold action 
until the contents of this letter shall have been 
read." 

Then the Squire, adjusting his glasses, read as 
follows: 

"State; of Pennsylvania, SS: 

" Having learned that Robert Rayland and seven other teach- 
ers, holding valid certificates, issued in accordance with the 
school laws of the State by the regularly appointed County 
Superintendent, and regularly assigned to the schools of 
Emdeu district, are about to be dismissed for the conscientious 
performance of their duties, I hereby direct you, Thomas Ben- 
ton, Esquire, to withdraw all legal proceedings, of whatever 
nature, and require the Board of Directors to abstain from all 
interference with their rights and duties within the school- 
room proper. Should the Directors persist in ignoring the 
contents of this, my official letter, the entire Board (along with 
yourself) will be summoned to the Court of Quarter Sessions 
to answer the charge of obstructing and violating the school 
laws of the Commonwealth. 

(Signed) " , 

" Secretary of State. ' ' 

. If a thunderbolt from a clear sky had fallen in 
the office of Squire Benton, the consternation 
could not have been more complete. Big drops of 
perspiration trickled down his face, and the trus- 
tees sat in astounded silence. Before they could 
recover their equilibrium, the Squire's better half 
— for such in reality she was — stepped forward and 
said: 

"Now, gentlemen, I hold myself entirely re- 
sponsible for the message that has just been read. 



348 Nicholas Comenius. 

I never met Robert Rayland face to face until he 
appeared in this room, but I had seen him pass and 
repass, and I made up my mind that justice should 
be done him in Squire Benton's office. It was I 
who dispatched a messenger to the capital, stating 
the facts to the head official of the schools of the 
State, and you have the result before you. If you 
disobey the contents of that letter, you do so at 
your peril. Although not kin to you by birth, yet 
for more than thirty years I have lived among the 
people of Emden and its surroundings; and through 
this young man the first ray of hope of a brighter 
educational future has dawned upon our village. 
For years Jimmy McCuue and the other masters 
have plodded along, like the wheel over at the old 
mill, sifting the bran from the meal in the old- 
fashioned way; just as for more than twenty years 
the Squire here has been dressing up in his velvet 
suit, that was doing service in George Washing- 
ton's time. Is it not time to be throwing off the 
old and putting on the new? Remember that God 
said 'Iyet there be light,' and there was light ; and 
so I say to you, the trustees of Emden district, re- 
instate Robert Rayland in the little stone house 
and you'll live to see the day when the light of the 
new system will dispel the clouds of superstition 
which now darken your firesides, and when your 
boys and girls shall rise up and call you blessed." 
While these words, falling on the minds and 
hearts of that assembly like the gentle rain of 



Opposition to Improvements. 349 

heaven, were only met with looks of silent con- 
tempt, coming as they did from a woman, who had 
no voice in the management of the schools, and 
while they were mostly like seeds sown upon stony 
ground, yet a grain unseen may have taken root 
here and there. After a moment's hurried consul- 
tation, in which the Squire advised strict obedience 
to constitutional authority, it was unanimously 
though reluctantly decided that Robert Rayland 
and the other teachers should re-enter upon the 
discharge of their duties the following morning, 
without any further interference. 

This determination on the part of the authorities 
of Emden district was far from being the result of 
conviction. If anything, the feeling of opposition 
became more intensified. It would have been as 
easy to put new wine into old bottles as to place 
new heads on these old shoulders ; and as long as 
the old heads remained, little fermentation in the 
direction of progress could be expected. 

Owing to the rapid transition from old condi- 
tions and methods to the modern, few teachers of 
the present day can fully understand why a teacher 
of fifty years ago should have been arraigned be- 
fore a school board and censured for the intro- 
duction of so simple a piece of school-room 
apparatus as a school chart. But in fact the chart, 
the blackboard, outline maps and globe, met with 
the same determined opposition that has at all 
times marked the progress of all other mechanical 



350 Nicholas Comemus. 

inventions. "We did not have such apparatus," 
said an old teacher; "and if we had it would have 
been of no value, as we would not have known 
how to use it." Indeed, the weary task of the 
individual pupil was a daily struggle for weeks 
and even months through the twenty-six arbitrary 
characters of the alphabet, with scarcely an effort 
on the part of the master to use them in their 
proper relation to words and sentences, until the 
letters in their regular order had been indelibly im- 
pressed upon the memory. From this primitive and 
arbitrary method there seemed to be no appeal on 
the part of the learner. Committing the alphabet 
to memory was one of the first requisites of the old 
master, and then with rapid strides he never rested 
until the unfortunate pupil was pushed into the 
New Testament, where he was allowed to flounder 
along among the difficult Biblical terms for the 
remainder of his school days, often in dense ignor- 
ance of their true meaning. 

Robert Rayland's trial and ultimate acquittal 
of what was termed "pernicious teaching," not 
only attracted the attention of leading educators 
and the outside public, but at the same time gave 
him a standing in the educational field which he 
could in no other way have attained in so short a 
time. So forcibly impressed were the members 
of the Board of perhaps the largest inland city in 
the Union at that early day, with the wonderful 
results attained by Robert Rayland in the little 



An 'Inquiry from, the City. 351 

stone house, that a committee was appointed to 
confer with him, and report on the expediency of 
introducing his scheme into the primary grades of 
that city. An extract from the report of the 
committee which here follows is remarkable, inas- 
much as it conclusively proves that while the old 
masters may have been learned in the higher 
branches and conscientious in the discharge of 
their duties as they understood them, they were in 
many instances wofully lacking in the methods 
upon which the early training of the young so 
much depended. The report of the committee 
reads verbatim as follows: 

"Having witnessed the practical operation of 
this scheme, we believe it important to introduce 
it into those departments of the school concerned 
in the instruction of the youngest and least ad- 
vanced scholars. Cards are suspended, upon which 
the alphabet or syllables of two or more letters are 
printed in large type, so that the attention of the 
whole class may be easily directed to every part of 
the card. There is a two-fold advantage in this 
method. The principal is greatly relieved, so 
much so that one of the teachers who has never 
taught before is able with great ease to instruct in 
the alphabet and in the spelling of words of one or 
two syllables, more than eighty young pupils, 
divided into four or five classes. The classes are 
severally called up, and the teacher pointing with 
a rod to the card, the scholars all pronounce the 



352 Nicholas Comenius. 

letter or spell the syllable or word. The alphabet 
is commenced at the beginning-, and the rod passes 
from letter to letter to the last; then the course is 
reversed, after which the teacher points to the 
letters promiscuously, and the whole class pro- 
nounces them. Lastly the rod is placed in the 
hands of some one or other of the class, who is 
required to point out such letters as the teacher 
may name. Mr. Rayland declares that he can 
teach a dozeu or twenty at once by this method 
sooner and better than by the ordinary plan, and 
prefers a number of pupils to a single one." 

For a time, but from an entirely different cause, 
the same opposition which had confronted Robert 
Rayland in the village school of Emden appeared 
in a more intensified form in the schools of the 
city in question. Among- its excellent corps of 
teachers were a number of old masters; prominent 
among them stood Thomas Yarrell, as typical a 
specimen of "ye olden time " master as it was pos- 
sible for the old system to produce. Now Thomas 
was more noted for his obstinaucy and his ability 
to swing the ferule than for his learning and 
power to develop the mental faculties of his pupils. 
While he had taught continuously for nearly two 
generations, he never succeeded in getting beyond 
the work of the primary grade, although many of 
his pupils had attained an age which at the present 
day would have brought them up to the graduating 
class of the high school. However, Thomas 



Insubordination in the City. 353 

reasoned on the principle that as there was no pos- 
sible opening for a boy in those days until he had 
reached his majority, running up and down the 
alphabet in the primary school at least kept him 
out of mischief, if nothing more. It was Thomas 
Yarrell's mission in life to teach the alphabet in 
the old way; and if by the end of the term he had 
succeeded in planting the letters from A to Z in a 
boy's memory, in regular order, he always rested 
easy in the consciousness that he had performed 
his duty to the school authorities. 

Consequently, when "sets of charts, cards and 
syllables, and words of spelling," were ordered 
"for all the primary grades," and when Thomas 
was directed to reform his methods in accordance 
with these modern appliances, the seat of war was 
temporarily transferred from the district of Emden 
to the city. As the professional dignity of Thomas 
was in a measure compromised, he rebelled, and 
politely refused to obey the instructions of the 
Board, or to depart one iota from the old estab- 
lished method. He was in consequence summoned 
to appear before the school authorities to answer 
the charge of insubordination. This he considered 
an insult to his standing as a teacher, and as a 
consequence handed in his resignation and aban- 
doned the profession forever. 

Here, within a brief period, were two charges 
of insubordination ; one by the trustees of Emden 
district against Robert Rayland for the introduc- 
23 



354 Nicholas Comenius. 

tion of a chart inimical to the best interests of the 
schools of a backwoods district ; the other by a 
progressive city Board against Thomas Yarrell, for 
neglecting and refusing to adapt his teaching to 
this same school-room appliance. But while it is 
evident to the mind of every modern educator, that 
Robert Ra viand at that early period was imbued 
w r ith the progressive spirit far in advance of the 
age in which he labored, and that Thomas Yarrell 
was among the very last apologists for a system 
destined to pass into oblivion, it is also evident, in 
the light of recent events, that the vast multiplicity 
of charts of every variety and style has in many 
directions overstepped the line of usefulness. What 
were in the early days of the system considered 
essentially necessary as aids to the young and in- 
experienced educator, have in recent years been 
thrust by wholesale upon School Boards through- 
out the length and breadth of the land. 

For a time things moved along in the even tenor 
of their way with Robert Rayland, except in his 
relations with the grasping innkeeper. He soon 
discovered, however, that in Robert he had a 
boarder of more than the average tact and ability, 
who showed no disposition whatever to affiliate 
with the regulars. At the close of the first month 
Robert concluded that some definite arrangement 
should be determined on with the innkeeper, so, 
approaching him at the bar, he said : "I have been 
boarding with you one month, Mr. Bently, and if 



Change of Residence. 355 

you will tell me how much I am indebted to you I 
will settle my account." 

"Well now, young man," replied the innkeeper, 
"you remember what I said when I gave you the 
best room in the house — that with the high price 
of pork and other provisions, the price of board 
would depend; that is, if the spirits go down 
freely then the price of board goes down accord- 
ingly, but if there is no downward movement in 
the straight unadulterated stuff, then the price 
goes up — understand, eh ? How much do you get 
a month for keeping school three or four hours a 
day? Yes, I understand. Well, we'll split your 
salary in two, for that's what the landlord always 
expects from the regulars. Fifty per cent, dis- 
count makes easy figuring, and don't require any 
calculating by that new arithmetic book, which 
has been the cause of more disturbance around 
this neck o' woods than was ever seen since the 
day old Orlando Hoskins started out on his white 
horse to direct the final ending of the world." 

Within a week from the night that Robert Ray- 
land settled that bill with the innkeeper, it was 
well known that he was quietly dreaming the 
dreams of the pure in heart on a downy bed in the 
best room in the house across the way, at the 
pleasant home of Mrs. Benton. In fact, he had 
hardly succeeded in arranging his scanty ward- 
robe before the news had reached every nook and 
corner of the old town. Every mother with eligible 



356 NicJiolas Comenius. 

daughters was on the tip-toe of excitement in her 
anxiety to carry the news to her next neighbor. 
Of course, " it was all a deep-laid plot on the part 
of the Squire's wife to entrap the young teacher 
into marrying Hannah;" and the gossips not only 
could no longer see anything to admire in his per- 
sonal appearance, but began to shower gratuitous 
pity on the young man. 

"I'll tell you," said Mrs. Orlando Hoskins, the 
minister's wife, in conversation with a half dozen 
members of her own church circle: "There's no 
use disguising the plain truth — I'm disappointed. 
If Orlando's five children had been boys, they'd 
have been following along in the old gentleman's 
footsteps, preaching the gospel; but as they happen 
to be girls, the responsibility of marrying them off 
rests where troubles have always rested since the 
beginning of the world, on the shoulders of the 
women-folks. Perhaps I've been keeping Malinda 
a little too strict, since the young teacher got to 
boarding over at the old inn. In my eyes, a 
tavern's no place for a young man who's had good 
religious training to hang around. Now, while 
the girls and I were arguing and trying to persuade 
Orlando to forgive the new teacher for meddling 
with the Scriptures over in the school, and while 
we were all planning how to get him into a respect- 
able minister's family, where he could have mar- 
ried my eldest daughter, Malinda, and assisted the 
parson in his parish duties, the Squire's wife got 



Mrs. Hoskins Opinion. 357 

to coaxing the young professor to leave the land- 
lord and go a-boarding with her. It may be all 
right for one of her kind, that's never been con- 
verted and that's got no fellow-feeling for even the 
landlord's wife, who has been struggling along 
trying to make both ends meet by boarding the 
new teacher. I'll venture my standing in the old 
parish that Hannah will never marry Robert Ray- 
land without the Squire's consent, and he'll never 
give in to his daughter's marrying a down-east 
New England Yankee school teacher, with no 
other recommendation than a certificate from the 
new Superintendent. No, Mrs. Orlando Hoskins 
hasn't been a pastor's wife these many years, and 
she hasn't been a-working among the congregation 
and giving good advice to all the young people in 
the chapel, to be deceived by a young foreigner 
who's got no social standing in this community." 
The next moment the door opened, and Malinda, 
pale and nervous, stood amid the group of sympa- 
thizing friends who had gathered at the parsonage 
of Mrs. Hoskins to offer words of sympathy to the 
pastor's wife in regard to the action of the mis- 
guided young teacher. Before the seemingly 
broken-hearted girl could give expression to her 
thoughts, her very countenance told the story of 
her chagrin and disappointment. From the moment 
her eyes had fallen upon the manly form of Robert 
Rayland, when he entered the village of Emden 
for the first time, there was a preconcerted move- 



358 Nicholas Comenius. 

ment 011 the part of the whole Hoskins family, 
ultimately to capture the young and handsome 
professor. Robert was not unconscious of these 
manifestations on the part of Malinda, for every 
time he passed or repassed the Parson's residence, 
Malinda was either to be seen peeping through the 
window or gazing from some half-hidden nook. 

But Robert, unlike most young men in their 
first sojourn in a distant village, pressed forward 
and onward in the line of his professional duties, 
turning neither to the right nor to the left. If 
occasionally he happened to meet old Jimmy or 
any of the other old masters, he never passed them 
by without a kindly greeting. He would often sit 
for hours under the old oak with his predecessor 
Jimmy, whose health seemed to be fast failing, 
listening to his many anecdotes of strange experi- 
ences, and in return would portray to him, in 
glowing colors, the strides made in educational 
development in his Bay State home, and at the 
same time endeavor to picture to him the educa- 
tional blessings in store for the people of Emden, 
which in God's own time were sure to come. 

While neither the trustees nor the Squire again 
visited Robert in the little school-house during the 
term, he would sit for hours in the back office, 
making deep impressions where the Squire's wife 
had failed, and slowly but surely weaving a net- 
work of influences around the old man, which 
were destined to bear fruit as time moved on. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

NATURE STUDY — NICHOLAS APPOINTED SUPERIN- 
TENDENT — DEATH OF HIS PREDECESSOR. 

As the long months of winter passed slowly b)', 
trie school at Emden grew in size and strengthened 
with each recurring day. While the clouds at 
times hung heavy without, the genial sunshine re- 
flected from the many young and loving hearts, 
and mellowed by the tender words of Robert, 
made the old school at Emden a place of beauty 
and a joy forever. At the close of the second 
month, those who had been accustomed to view 
its bleak and cheerless walls would almost have 
failed to recognize the complete transformation 
that had taken place within. A fresh coat of 
white-wash, a picture here and there, a new broom 
brought into daily use, a cedar bucket with a 
bright tin dipper — all these gave the old house an 
appearance that blended harmoniously with the 
clean hands and faces, and the neat and tidy appear- 
ance of the little workers within. And the faith- 
ful Hannah, far above the average in natural en- 
dowments, never missed a day. What books of 
the higher order the Squire refused to purchase, 

359 



360 Nicholas Comenius. 

Robert supplied from his own private funds; for 
he was not slow in discovering that the intellect 
and character of the mother were duplicated in the 
daughter, now only a modest, unassuming school- 
girl. 

And so, while doubt and uncertainty pervaded 
the atmosphere without, there was one consoling 
thought that nerved the young teacher to even 
greater efforts in the school. Were not the boys 
and girls at the close of each day's session eager to 
join him in his periodical strolls to the neighboring 
hills and valleys surrounding beautiful Emden, 
there to commune with nature in all its varied 
forms ? And how many ever returned empty- 
handed, or without a store of useful knowledge 
which the meadows and hills were ever sure to 
provide? Not a plant escaped the notice of the 
girls, nor a rare stone or mineral the attention of 
the boys. Could not any one of a dozen girls give 
the botanical names to all the plants that grew in 
the meadow down by the ivy-covered parsonage? 
And the boys — were they not equally prepared to 
distinguish the various rock formations and the 
different varieties of soil, and the effect produced 
by proper fertilizing? 

And there was Jack McCabe's son Richard, a 
sprightly lad of thirteen, who had never before 
seen a history in his life — nor his father the old 
repairman either, for that matter. And didn't 
Dick keep the whole family sitting around the 



Fruit of Robert 's Teaching. 361 

table after the evening meal while he kept ex- 
plaining to his brothers^ and sisters all about the 
battle of the Brandywine, which had taken place 
so many years before, on Pennsylvania soil ? And 
wouldn't he lay out the whole plan of the battle, 
using the cups and saucers and the knives and 
forks to illustrate the position of the troops, with 
the Hessians and red-coats on the one side and 
Washington and his famishing army 011 the other, 
and Valley Forge in the centre? 

Had not Sim, the old charcoal-burner's son, a 
lad of ten, made the startling revelation before 
he'd finished his second month, of the number and 
cost per thousand of every shingle on the old 
wagon-shed? And could he not compute at the 
same time the number of cord-feet in every stick 
of timber that grew on Farmer Cooper's strip of 
woodland ? 

Ah, but what a commotion over at the corner 
grocery, when the miller's son, Ben, got to figur- 
ing out the weight and cost per bushel of all the 
grain stored in the granary over in the old stone 
mill ! 

Wouldn't it make all the older heads turn to 
hear young Ike, the only son of old Oscar, the 
proprietor of the General Washington, skirmish 
around among the Presidential administrations, 
repeating the name of every President in regular 
order from Washington down to old Zachary 
Taylor? 



362 Nicholas Com cuius. 

And so for weeks after the opening of the village 
school its unrecognized influence was imperceptibly 
permeating every rural household. Whence came 
this new inspiration among the boys and girls of 
the village school? — this sudden quickening of the 
mind to enter untrodden paths, in search of hidden 
treasures, never before dreamed of even by those 
of maturer years? Was it but the reflex of the 
recent public examination, the first ever held in 
the village of Bmden, that had so imperceptibly 
stirred the youthful mind from the sluggishness of 
indifference to an awakening like that produced 
by the rays of the morning sun? Or was it the 
influence of the young teacher, unconsciously 
operating like the gentle dew from heaven upon 
young and old alike? 

With Robert Ray land the absence of a multipli- 
city of text-books was a blessing in disguise. 
Thoroughly trained in the art of imparting know- 
ledge, and with a mind ever ready to draw upon 
nature's vast storehouse, Robert never lost courage 
or faith in the power of the means at his com- 
mand eventually to liberate the good people of 
Emden district from the thraldom of ignorance and 
superstition. 

But after all, was there anything in the school at 
Emden of such vastly superior merit and import- 
ance that its counterpart is not readily to be found 
in hundreds of district schools at the present day? 
Does not every locality have as many Robert Ray- 



Honor to Whom Honor is Due, xd 



o' 



lands and as many intelligent girls in all respects 
the equals of Hannah, yet of whom mention is 
seldom if ever made? Why then delineate the 
character and personal qualities of this or that in- 
dividual, whose counterpart may be seen in every 
village and hamlet in the land ? 

Is the name of the engineer, we ask, who pulled 
the throttle that sent the first locomotive through 
the land at the rate of but ten miles an hour, or 
that of the electrician who touched the key which 
sent the first message on its way from Baltimore to 
Washington, some fifty years ago, to sink into 
oblivion because modern engineering has since en- 
circled the earth with the steel rail and the electric 
cable? Are those who stood as beacon lights in 
our educational system's darkest night — who stood 
face to face against public opinion, oppression and 
ignorance, when to battle for the cause of popular 
education was considered by many almost a crime 
— are those heroes of other days to receive no recog- 
nition from the enlightened public of the latter days 
of this nineteenth century? Does the cosy little 
brick school-house, with its interior adornments, 
decorations and hygienic appliances, bear no re- 
lation to the dilapidated time- worn structure yet 
standing — so near and yet so far? Is the profes- 
sional teacher of the present generation so com- 
pletely absorbed in the multiplicity of his labors, or 
in the importance of his mission, as to justify him 
in ignoring or looking with contempt on a Robert 



364 Nicholas Contemns. 

Rayland, or even a Jimmy McCune ? If such there 
be in the teacher's profession, let them in their 
quiet moments revert to the past, there to gather 
new inspiration from that noble army of martyrs 
who built upon a foundation as enduring as the 
human race. If the embodiment of their ideal lies 
far above and beyond the types herein represented, 
let them dwell for a time amid the environments 
which cluster around the life of Dr. Arnold or of 
Pestalozzi. 

As the busy bee goes forth in the early morning, 
only to return when the shades of twilight appear, 
laden with the very essence of the honeysuckle, so 
should the young teacher, when he has gleaned 
from the text-book all that is worth gathering, go 
forth and mingle with nature and the great masters 
who have given to the world all that is worth 
knowing. 

At last spring-time, the most delightful season 
of the year, and especially so to the young and en- 
thusiastic teacher, came in all its glory. The aged 
oak, the monarch of the forest, once more put forth 
its clustering foliage; beside the old familiar path- 
way the wild briar and the coarse weeds be- 
gan to push their way upward in search of light 
and heat; and even the old school-house seemed to 
have thrown off its robes of mourning for old 
Jimmy and assume a more cheerful aspect, when 
an event occurred of vast significance to the educa- 
tional interests of Blackwell county. 



The Second Examination. 365 

There on the long bench were seated a number 
of strange-looking faces — young and middle-aged, 
with and without experience, headed by Robert 
Rayland — for the appointed day for the second ex- 
amination had arrived. The old slab bench, how- 
ever, upon which had been seated the eight old 
masters the year previous, was vacant. Even the 
Squire and the aged Parson were strangely absent, 
as well as the six trustees. There were none of 
Emden's constituency to be seen loitering around 
the venerable oak without, nor within the old 
house, on that memorable occasion, to remind one 
of the excitement that pervaded the very atmos- 
phere of the year previous. 

A carriage drove up to the door of the old house, 
and the young Superintendent alighted and entered 
the school for the second time. There was no 
elasticity in his step; his every movement indi- 
cated the severe physical and mental strain under 
which he was laboring. 

"Calling me aside at the close of the examina- 
tion," said Nicholas, whose own words we give now 
that his own personality enters so largely into the 
story so graphically related, "he turned and with 
the deepest feeling of emotion said : ' Nicholas 
Comenius, allow me, in the name of the Governor 
of the State, to present you with this certificate 
of appointment as Superintendent of the schools 
of Blackwell county for my unexpired term of 
office. The responsible duties, the tax on physical 



366 



Nicholas Comenius 



endurance, the severe mental strain* coupled with 
declining health, have forced me to resign a posi- 
tion which I have endeavored to fill to the best of 
my ability for one short year. May you, Nicholas,' 




mXS^mmM^M 



NICHOLAS COMMISSIONED SUPERINTENDENT. 

continued he, ' under the guidance of an over- 
ruling Providence, so direct the educational move- 
ment that the various discordant elements may be 
brought into that perfect union which the very 



Nicholas Appointed Superintendent. 367 

name of Comenius should aid you to harmonize 
and adjust.' The announcement of the young 
Superintendent's resignation, with that of my ap- 
pointment, coming so suddenly and unexpectedly, 
produced a profound impression upon the members 
of the class," added Nicholas, with his eye upon 
the ruius of the village school, as his voice fell 
almost to a whisper. 

"As the young Superintendent passed through 
the doorway, now relieved as he was from all offi- 
cial responsibility, his step seemed to quicken; 
but I noticed deep and furrowed lines on his 
manly face. He uttered not a word until he stood 
beneath the shade of the great oak, when he beck- 
oned me to his side and said, in a low tone: 

"'I want to talk with you, my friend! Tell 
me where to find Jim and Tim, and the other old 
masters. I missed them in the class to-day, as I 
have missed so many others in my second tour 
over Blackwell county. Tell me where they are, 
and why they have not been here. After leaving 
the examination a year ago, I began to think of 
the old men, and I said to myself, No, it wasn't 
right to treat them in that way; if I live till 
another year I'll give them a chance, for they're 
old and cannot live long anyway. These thoughts 
have followed me,' said he, with quivering lips, 
' through the long days, on many a lonely pilgrim- 
age, when bereft of that good-will and support 
without which life is a failure. So tell me where 



3 6S 



Nicholas Comenius. 



to find the old school-masters, and why they are 
absent?' 

" 'The masters,' said I, '"let me see. Yes, come 
with me, and we'll go and see Jim and Tim.' 




RETURNED FROM THE CHURCH-YARD. 

"So arm in arm we walked over through the 
gate by the church, and thence to the graves of 
Jim and Tim. As we stood I noticed a big tear 
like a rain-drop fall on the grave of Jimmy. Re- 
tracing our steps to the oak, he said ; 



The Ti eaty Under the Oak. 3 69 

" 'Now where are the other old men, and espec- 
ially my old friend Patrick, so full of genuine Irish 
wit and humor?' 

" So I gave him their history as well as I could 
recall — that three of them were in the county 
work-house, and the others tramping the county 
round among old friends, kind and true. But I 
couldn't help saying a kind word for my old friend 
Jimmy McCune, for I saw it struck a responsive 
chord in his very inmost nature : and so of Jimmy 
we talked as we sat till the sun disappeared behind 
the distant hills. I told him all about Jimmy, for 
I loved him; he was so generous and forgiving, 
without an enemy in the world. I told him how 
he had met the boys some thirty odd years before 
under this same oak, as he came to take charge of 
the little village school; how we had all gathered 
there one beautiful October morning, wondering 
what kind of a master we should all have to meet, 
when a tall, handsome young man stepped into our 
midst, and said, in a mild tone, 'Good morning, 
boys.' Before we could reply, he added : 

"'Boys, did you ever hear of William Penn, 
and how he made the famous treaty with the wild 
men of the forest under an old elm tree — the only 
treaty never sworn to and never broken ? And 
now,' he continued, ' while I am not William Penn, 
but plain Jimmy McCune, the master appointed to 
teach this village school, I want to form a treaty 
with all the boys and girls under this oak.' 
24 



3/0 Nicholas Comenius. 

"So beneath its sheltering branches, which 
weren't as old then as now, nor Jimmy McCune 
nor Nicholas either, we all gathered around the 
new master, took each other by the hand, and 
there pledged ourselves, each to the other and all 
to the master, that as long as the old tree stood we 
should be friends. Then young Jimmy led the 
way, and with hats off we followed him over the 
threshold into the little stone school-house. Once 
within, silently we stood with eyes intent on the 
master, when the same soft voice continued : 

" 'Now, my dear boys and girls, we'll try to find 
a nice high seat for the large ones, and the little 
ones will sit beside the master, and help him keep 
school.' 

"First month there wasn't a half-dozen books 
in the whole school, but the master said he didn't 
care for books, as long as he could give the boys 
and girls all he had stored up in his head; that a 
master, like a doctor, didn't amount to much if he 
had all the time to be looking into the books to 
find out what kind of medicine the patient needed. 
No, there weren't many books that I can recall; we 
didn't need them, for the master had a mind chock- 
full of knowledge, and it flowed through the school 
as the waters of the spring spread over the meadow, 
giving new life daily to each tender blade. 

"There was no forgetting what the master 
taught, for there was experience back of his teach- 
ing, and what Jimmy McCune drove into a boy's 



The Treaty Under the Oak. 371 

head stuck like beeswax. He never hitched them 
all together in a string as now-a-days, to make the 
smart young chap pull the whole team along, or to 
be held back by the weight of the drones; but he 
called them up one at a time, and in this way 
measured up each and every boy in the school, and 
knew where they all stood. And those old copy- 
books, the head-lines of which the master wrote 
with his own hand! What golden thoughts and 
words of wisdom those lines contained ! Yes, 
they've been the old man's guiding star all through, 
life, and will remain with him to the end. Noth- 
ing like them to be found in the printed copy- 
books of these days." 

"Was the treaty made under the old oak ever 
broken?" we asked. 

"Broken? No; but once a year, as long as 
Jimmy stayed, it was renewed. And since Jimmy 
has passed over the river of Time, the boys and 
girls, every first of October morning, carry wreaths 
of autumn leaves and flowers from the garden- 
plot around the old house, and place them over 
Jim and Tim's graves. There wasn't one of 
Jimmy's first boys joined the last procession 
except myself, for the others had long since passed 
away. Yes, yes, old friends and associations may 
pass away, but the recollections of Jimmy McCune, 
as I knew him when I was a lad, struggling with 
adversity over in the old homestead, can never be 
effaced. Well do I remember the old leather-bound 



37 2 Nicholas Comcnius. 

family Bible as it rested on the mantel of the huge 
stone fireplace, around which during many a cold 
winter evening we huddled ourselves together as a 
protection against the bleak winds, waiting in joy- 
ous anticipation for the master; for it was a family 
custom never to retire until Jimmy McCune had 
read a chapter from the old Bible, and pronounced 
a ' God bless you ' on the heads of old and young. 

"It was evident," continued Nicholas, "that 
the Superintendent was much affected. The very 
mention of the old family Bible had struck a re- 
sponsive chord. Reaching into a side pocket he 
drew forth a small leather-bound volume, and 
placing it in my hand said: 

" ' Here too is a memento of the past, worn and 
old, but as dear to my heart as are the recollec- 
tions of her who gave it to me. It may not 
have the wear and tear of time which marked the 
one out of which Jimmy McCune read the blessed 
words of truth; but it contains those same golden 
thoughts and wholesome lessons. This small 
volume was given me many years ago.' 

' f As he passed it into my hands he paused a 
moment, and then said, 'Read the inscription,' 
and as I looked, I saw the words: 'Holy Bible: 
From mother to son.' 

"The old Bible, thought I— the little book 
which the Superintendent prized so highly was 
the same blessed word of truth that old Jimmy so 
often read to us when I was a boy! 



Nicholas Pledges Himself. 373 

"Then I reasoned within myself: — Jimmy Mc- 
Cnne has passed away with the days gone by, but 
now the essence and strength of his personality 
are embodied and centered in the new teacher; 
the one symbolizing the dead past, the other the 
living present, each the representative type of his 
respective day and epoch. Evidently, thought I, 
the world moves, and he who fails to keep in 
touch with the future must fall by the wayside, 
broken and disheartened. The old oak, a silent 
observer of the scene below, has lived for the past; 
but does it not now also live for the present? 
Then why should I be of less worth to the world 
than the aged oak ? 

"So grasping the Superintendent by the hand, 
I then and there mentally resolved that as long as 
God gave me health and strength to battle for the 
cause of popular education, and against bigotry and 
fanaticism, there at all times would I stand. 

"As he turned to leave me, his very counte- 
nance indicated an intense desire to give expression 
to some thought that for a moment failed to find 
utterance. 'I noticed in the class to-day,' said he 
at last, 'that of all of Emden's corps of last year's 
teachers, only one has had the moral fortitude to 
hold his ground and to continue the good fight to 
the end.' 

"'True, my friend,' I replied, 'those young 
men were never cut out for pioneers. It is their 
province in life, like the rolling stone that gathers 



374 Nicholas Comenius. 

no moss, to shift from one position to another 
until they shall have reached the acme of their 
ambition, far beyond the profession of teaching.' 

" 'But what has prevailed upon young Robert 
Raylaud so nobly to stand his ground ?' said he, as 
he leaned against the aged oak. 

" 'Robert Rayland?' I replied. 'We may not, 
my friend, live to see the day, but the time will 
surely come when this young student will make 
his mark in the world; and when that day comes, 
the name of Mary Benton will be the one to which 
he will love to do honor and reverence. While your 
pathway, my worthy friend, has been strewn with 
thorns and thistles in your lonely pilgrimages over 
Blackwell county, remember that you will ever 
have the satisfaction of feeling that in Robert Ray- 
land there lies the inspiration of an unseen power, 
which as years roll by will penetrate every school 
district of this great county.' 

"Alas, my young friends," said Nicholas; 
" only a few weeks later, the sad news reached the 
village of the passing away of the young Superin- 
tendent, in a distant city. Overcome by the 
weight of a multiplicity of duties far beyond his 
strength, this noble young educator had fallen a 
martyr to the cause he so much loved." 

And here the narrator paused for a moment to 
master the emotion caused by the recollection of 
his departed friend. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

ANOTHER- DATE FOR ASCENSION — ORLANDO MIS- 
TAKEN AGAIN — OSCAR BENTEY IN THE 
OED FORT. 

" IT was late that evening when we reached the 
old homestead," resumed Nicholas; "I say we, for 
I was not alone, but was joined by young Robert 
and a number of those who were anxious for ap- 
pointment. Later on, one after another of Jimmy's 
friends began to drop in on us. Even the trustees 
and the Squire came around, as they said, to relieve 
their minds a little, unconscious of the presence 
of young Robert Ray land, and rather to avoid if 
possible the fearful consequences which that night 
was to bring to their sorely-stricken souls. For a 
time, as we sat on the porch, not a word was 
spoken, each being intent on watching the full 
moon as it came into view from over a neighboring 
hill. There was something intensely significant 
about the appearance of the heavens on that event- 
ful evening; for in accordance with the prophecy 
of Parson Hoskins, proclaimed months before, the 
final dissolution of the world was to take place at 
that full moon. 

375 



Oscar Bently Seeks Cover. 377 

"No noisy demonstration occurred on the village 
streets of Emden — only the loud shrill voice of 
Orlando Hoskins, as he galloped to and fro through 
the town, proclaiming his 'midnight cry' and 
carrying consternation at times to many hearts. 
From farm-house and cabin came the rushing mul- 
titude to the call of his trumpet's piercing sounds; 
rich and poor, old and young — some rejoicing, 
others praying for deliverance and bemoaning their 
sad condition — all impressed with the fearful con- 
sequences so soon to overtake them. 

"In the pale glimmer of the full moon, in the 
distance, came the portly form of old Oscar Bently, 
his eyes now on the Parson and again directed 
toward an old abandoned fort, which in Revolu- 
tionary times had protected the village of Hmden 
and its surroundings from the Hessian soldiers. 
He chose the latter; and securely entrenched 
within the portals of this ancient citadel, Oscar 
bade defiance to old Time with his sharpened 
scythe, and laid himself down to sleep — ■' perchance 
to dream.' On housetops and elsewhere in Shaky 
Hollow sat many a fair maiden, dressed in white 
robes, hoping yet fearing the moment when she 
should bid adieu to earthly scenes and join the 
celestial throng. 

"Anon, while piercing shrieks, mingled with the 
sweet strains of a hymn, floated on the air from a 
distant corner of the village, there rested on the 
little assembly on the porch of the old stone man- 



3jS NicJwtas Contemns. 

sion no darkling gloom, but the hope of a glorious 
future, built upon a foundation against which the 
efforts of the Rev. Orlando Hoskins could not pre- 
vail. Our guest took occasion to refer to the 
superstition so often exploded ; and as the words 
of wisdom fell from his lips and those of Robert 
Rayland, who but a short time before had been 
shunned, and persecuted, and unjustly censured, a 
new revelation seemed to dawn upon the vision 
of the older men beside them. It was not, how- 
ever, until the old grandfather's clock, which had 
stood for more than five generations in a secluded 
corner of the old homestead, had struck forth the 
hour of midnight, that Robert was called upon to 
solemnize the parting moments by reading a chap- 
ter from the old family Bible. 

"After a night of intense agony and long-suffer- 
ing, disappointment and remorse, came the bright 
rays of the genial morning sunshine. Over hill 
and dale, with here and there a notable exception, 
peace and quietude reigned supreme over Emden 
and the shades of Shaky Hollow. Along secluded 
hedges and lonely by-ways a draggled rescuing- 
party might have been seen, in search of those sup- 
posed to have strayed along the outlying ridges. 
Many a frail form lingered for months thereafter on 
a bed of sickness from nervous prostration, in some 
lonely out-of-the-way cabin. Even the old Parson, 
at times kindly disposed and generous to a fault, 
but now broken-hearted and dejected, kept himself 



Oscar's Waking. 379 

hidden for weeks thereafter within the narrow 
limits of the ivy-covered parsonage. Malinda and 
her mother, on the other hand, were not so easily 
disconcerted. It was their mission to re-establish 
confidence among the weak, the doubting and hesi- 
tating; to hold the old almanac accountable for 
any and all errors or mistakes in date, and at the 
same time arrange for another ascension later on. 

" When Oscar Bently, the old innkeeper of the 
General Washington, awoke from his peaceful 
slumbers at the first dawn of returning day, he 
called loudly for his dear Amelia. Receiving no 
reply except the faint echo of his own voice, as it 
reverberated from the walls of the old fortress, he 
flew into a violent rage, declaring he was another 
Robinson Crusoe, bereft of friends and destined to 
roam amid the wilds of Shaky Hollow a lonely 
wanderer to the end of his days. With one despe- 
rate effort he removed the barricades from the 
numerous port-holes, into each of which he pro- 
ceeded to thrust his head and stubby shoulders, to 
ascertain the lay of the land and compute the value 
of his landed possessions. With heavy heart he 
took in the surrounding landscape far and near, but 
no living form of man or beast met his eye, nor 
sound his ear. 'Hum!' he unconsciously mur- 
mured, in his endeavor to extricate himself from 
the confines of his narrow enclosure ; ' yes, yes, all 
have been taken except old Oscar himself! Poor 
Amelia, for more than forty years the old man's 



380 Nicholas Comenius. 

stand-by over at the General Washington, gone too, 
•with the Parson and the Squire, the regulars and 
all the wicked sinners of the village.' 

" With big tears trickling down his troubled 
face, Oscar's eye at last fell upon the form of 
Robert, who was at that early hour pursuing his 
usual morning's walk, prior to his departure for his 
summer's vacation. Rushing to the door he ex- 
claimed, 'Ah, ha, my good young friend, back to 
stay for good? — or only on furlough? Old Father 
Time has mowed them all down with one swing 
of his scythe ! Only old Oscar Bently and the 
young master left, to run the school and the Gen- 
eral Washington. What will the honest innkeeper 
do without Amelia and the regulars, and the mas- 
ter without the little codgers?' 

" ' Wait a moment, old man,' said Robert ; 
'what's the matter with you, anyway? Too much 
schnapps last night? Better hurry home, for the 
old lady's about sending out a contingent of regu- 
lars as a searching party.' 

"'What! Amelia alive, and the regulars on 
duty ? How about the Squire and the Parson ?' 

'"Oh, they're all safe.' 

"'The Parson safe, eh? Well, I'd never have 
believed it! Yes, yes,' muttered Oscar, 'more 
trouble ahead for the old innkeeper. Now, young 
man, take a pointer from the old man. Say noth- 
ing to Amelia. I'll slip in at the back door and 
make the old gal believe Oscar's been sound asleep 



Oscar 's Return. 



38i 



in the spare room.' With this monologue the 
jolly innkeeper went puffing along with all the 
speed his short limbs could command, to explain 
as best he could his night's absence from the Gen- 
eral Washington. 




OSCAR RETURNS TO AMELIA. 



" When old Oscar reached the famous inn over 
which he had for so many years held sway, with 
disheveled hair, his trousers tucked into his long 
untanned boots, and his old felt hat, which had 



3S2 Nicholas Comenius. 

done service as a bolster the night before, jammed 
down over both ears, he was met by the full com- 
plement of regulars and his ever-faithful wife. It 
seemed useless to make any attempt at defence. 
As he was pressed on all sides for some explana- 
tion of his miraculous escape from the old fortress, 
he at once proceeded with a satisfactory explana- 
tion. As no one in all the country round had ever 
had the moral courage to enter this Revolutionary 
landmark, owing to certain mysterious powers 
supposed to emanate therefrom, he who had the 
moral courage to enter this old fort, even in the 
light of day, was considered a hero. Trances and 
visions had their origin in this old relic of other 
days. In fact, all the mysterious local tales and 
midnight superstitions started in the old fortress 
of Emden. 

"'Oh,' said Oscar, 'twas a frightful night for 
any other than one with a strong arm and a brave 
heart. Yes, it was Oscar Bently that was spirited 
away by the old Parson from the bosom of his 
family in the wee hours of the night, and forced 
into the old dungeon. But what a night of 
troubled spirit and vexation of mind ! All night 
long there was a little army of Hessian soldiers, 
with presented arms and fixed bayonets, standing 
right before the old man, as he lay on the hard 
stone floor. Open my eyes, and away they would 
bob behind the barricades ; close them, and there 
they would stand, with their little gray bobtail 



Oscar s Story. t>%3 

coats, pointed hats, and boots turned up at the 
toes like sleigh-runners. And the Captain — I 
mustn't forget him, for he was a dandy sort of a 
little chap ! Well, these little devils kept coming 
closer and closer, and so at last I got my blood 
up, raised myself and said: "Don't you know the 
war's been fought and won many years ago ? Who 
am I? Well, I'm none other than the proprietor 
of the General Washington." "The General 
Washington?" replied the Captain! l Yes v that 
same old General that met and defeated the whole 
Hessian army at the battle of Trenton. " And with 
the mention of George Washington they all scam- 
pered away as fast as their legs could carry them. 
Now, when daylight came, there were the door and 
the port-holes barricaded as tight as they'd been 
the night before. How did the little imps get in? 
That's the question that bothers old Oscar.' 

"And with this explanation Oscar, Amelia, and 
the whole contingent of regulars, made their way 
into the bar-room, thankful for the mysterious es- 
cape of the host of the General Washington." 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

ROBERT RETURNS TO EMDEN — WHY DID HE COME 

BACK? — THE PARSON'S WIFE — WELCOMED 

BY THE DIRECTORS. 

And so the intervening months of spring and 
summer, with meadows teeming with wild flowers 
and broad acres with golden grain, passed slowly 
by, to be followed by early autumn with orchards 
laden with luscious fruit and broad fields bedecked 
here and there with shocks of corn, interspersed 
with the yellow pumpkin so necessary to the health 
of the regulars and the success of the thrifty inn- 
keeper, who stood ever ready with an eye single to 
the main chance. Was it anticipation of Robert 
Rayland or Jimmy McCune, that caused the faces 
of the half hundred boys and girls standing around 
the stone school on that lovely October morning to 
be wreathed in smiles? Of that throng of happy 
hearts, how many were longing for the return of 
old Jimmy, the master, to whom but a short year 
before they were so devotedly attached? No math- 
ematical demonstration is necessary to solve the 
problem of child-nature. To gravitate from the 
old to the new — from old associations, habits and 

3 8 4 



Robert Returns to Emden. ^8s 



j' 



customs, to new conditions, as exemplified in the 
personality and character of Robert Rayland — was 
as natural to the young mind as are reveries and 
meditations on the past to the aged grandfather. 

The transition from the old master into the 
young teacher was the result of a condition in 
which the child was the essential factor; for as the 
young and tender plant reaches forth in the direc- 
tion of the sun's rays for light and warmth, so 
the tender hearts of the young obey the same law 
of nature and gravitate one toward another. For 
the old master there may have been a certain re- 
verential respect, as there is and at all times should 
be for old age; but for Robert Rayland' s return 
there was a longing desire, akin to that filial love 
which a boy experiences during his first visit from 
home; and so when the sound of the stage-horn, 
announcing the arrival of the coach which was to 
bring the teacher back to the village of Emden, 
fell upon the ears of both old and young, no cold 
indifference manifested itself among the throng 
which had gathered before the old inn. 

A glance at the stone mansion of Squire Benton 
was sufficient to satisfy the most incredulous that a 
generous hospitality awaited him who had come 
the year previous as an entire stranger. The 
happy smile on Hannah's face was a sufficient 
guarantee that an event of no secondary import- 
ance was about to occur, and that Robert had been 
triumphantly re-elected for another term. But 



386 Nicholas Comcnius. 

why dwell longer on the personality of the plain, 
uncultured country school-girl of Emden ? the im- 
patient reader will remark, as he pictures her in 
the light of a fickle-minded girl in love with the 
new teacher. To accept such a hastily-pronounced 
verdict would be doing an injustice to her sterling 
qualities. That Hannah had tasted of the cup 
whose waters had been drawn from the very foun- 
tain-head of intellectual development, that having 
so imbibed she was prone to discover their hidden 
source, was not for a moment to be doubted ; but to 
infer that she was moved by an impulse such as the 
world might impute, would be doing injustice to 
her ingenuous nature. 

With Robert Rayland, however, it may have 
been in a measure the opposite; but to attribute to 
him other than the highest motives consistent with 
an exemplary character, would be doing an equal 
injustice. His conception of the true intent and 
meaning of the new law was far in advance of the 
average educator of his day. He was in no sense 
of the word, then or in after years, an extremist in 
the methods to be sought in the development of the 
young mind, but held to the psychological fact and 
pedagogical maxim, that the expansion of the mind 
should go hand in hand with that of the heart and 
soul. He sought to cultivate the observing facul- 
ties rather than to overtax the memory — a mon- 
strous error into which the system has since drifted. 
To proceed from the known to the unknown, and 



Robert Returns to Em den. 387 

never to let the letter stand for the spirit, was also 
an axiom, which to his mind needed no demon- 
stration. Practical, and yet with a perfectly clear 
comprehension of theory, Robert built upon a 
foundation which his keen foresight at all times 
assured him was what the common people of every 
class so much required in the daily walks of life. 
And while he believed implicitly in higher educa- 
tional facilities, he nevertheless devoted his best 
energies to the equipment of the average school, in 
which the masses were to be educated. Whether 
Robert Rayland misconceived the true intent of the 
framers of the law, which was to found a system 
on the broad principle that the ninety-five per 
cent, of all those attending school should have the 
same advantages in the grammar school, the school 
of the people, that are now held out exclusively to 
the five per cent, attending high school, is a ques- 
tion on which there should be but one opinion. 

But why should Robert, with his natural ability 
and past experience, again risk his reputation by 
taking charge of Bmden school for the second 
time ? Had he not already been vindicated, and 
were not other more available and desirable posi- 
tions awaiting him in other more favorable locali- 
ties? His first venture may have been largely an 
experiment, in which so many young men love to 
risk their chances in life in the hope of gaining 
experience as well as notoriety ; but why should he 
return to a district with but few of the refining in- 



388 Nicholas Comenius. 

Alienees under which he had lived from early in- 
fancy? Was it the love he bore the old school, 
with its bleak and cheerless surroundings, that 
induced him to make the sacrifice — for such in 
reality it was — or was he moved by some myster- 
ious force over which he had no control? And 
yet, aside from these minor considerations, what 
object other than Hannah, the one and only one in 
the whole school who had befriended him in the 
hour of his deepest anguish and humiliation, could 
have exerted over him a more lasting and to her a 
more unconscious influence in shaping his future 
course in life? 

Yes, it was the influence of the modest school- 
girl that had followed him to his far-off New Eng- 
land home, and had made the elegant and commo- 
dious school building of his native town sink into 
insignificance in comparison with the little stone 
house with Hannah as a pupil. Even the flowers 
which grew wild around the old house seemed far 
brighter and sweeter than the cultivated geraniums 
that grew, under the fostering care of the gardener, 
around the new structure. The stately elm, in- 
digenous to every New England village and ham- 
let, and beneath which he had received his first 
lesson from the lips of his sainted mother, appeared 
to have lost its symmetry and majestic bearing in 
comparison with the rugged old oak under which 
Jimmy McCune had formed his famous treaty of 
peace, some forty-odd years before. 



Robert Returns to Em den. 389 

Four long months had now passed since Robert 
was the guest of Comenius, on that lovely moon- 
light evening of early spring. The intervening 
days were in the fullest sense of the word vacation 
days — a season of recreation unknown to the old 
masters ; for how many weeks or even days had 
old Jimmy for study or rest? From the school- 
room to the drudgery of the farm, and back again 
to "teach the young idea how to shoot" was the 
yearly rotation of the old pedagogue. Yet it was 
not simply a preference on the part of the master, 
it was a demand on the part of public opinion ; 
for he who paraded himself as a learned professor, 
however well he could sustain the character, found 
little favor among the people. And so may it not 
be said that vacation days, in so far as they relate 
to the teacher's calling, are a modern innovation, 
co-incident with the incoming of the new system ? 

As young Robert alighted from the coach at the 
door of Squire Benton's law office, even the now 
good-natured innkeeper, his helpmate, and a goodly 
number of the regulars, pressed their way forward 
to wish him a happy return and a "God bless 
you." At the other end of the village, however, 
around the Parson's mansion, there was nothing 
but cold indifference manifested. 

" I never in my life could understand," said the 
Parson's wife, "why all this fuss should be made 
over a common school teacher who hasn't been out 
of town for more than a month or two. It's ten to 



390 Nicholas Comenius. 

one he's been away down East making love to some 
Yankee girl. I've been telling Malinda that there's 
better fish in the sea than have ever been caught ; 
but the poor girl keeps fretting over her disap- 
pointment more than is good for her health, which 
has been failing wofully of late. But there's one 
consolation — yes, one consoling thought ; and that 
is Orlando's prediction, and he has never yet made 
a ' predict ' that wouldn't have come to pass to the 
minute, had the reckoning of the old almanac been 
correct. Now Orlando says that before the teacher 
can marry Hannah Benton, the world is going to 
collapse and knock the wedding ceremonies all 
into smithereens. Only last week the Parson sold 
the best cow in the stable to provide Malinda with 
a suitable outfit for the next Ascension. Guess 
when the professor gets a glimpse of her white 
robes as she goes soaring upwards among the 
planets, he'll be after relenting, and will want to 
call her back. See, it's been all arranged to send 
her off a day or so before the day fixed for the 
final dissolution. Now Malinda has been trying 
to persuade Orlando to invite the new teacher 
around when the send-off occurs ; for we're all 
kind o' persuaded to give him one more chance to 
marry the poor girl while there's time. But it's 
awfully mortifying to think that after all the 
preaching on the day of judgment that Orlando 
has been doing for more than a score of years, the 
new teacher should be stirring up the congrega- 



Robert Returns to Em den. 391 

tion and telling them that Orlando's doctrine is all 
a humbug. There's the Squire and the trustees, 
for example. Who'd ever have thought that their 
heads could be twisted around against the Scrip- 
tures, and in favor of the new system ? But their 
wicked souls will have to wallow along on this 
unregenerated and sinful planet, while Orlando 
and his family are sitting in the front pews of the 
New Jerusalem. I tell you, my friend, it's the 
Parson's wife that's been walking the straight and 
narrow path, and that's bringing her four daughters 
up in the way they should go. If Malinda is des- 
tined to meet with disappointment down here, 
she'll receive her reward in the sweet bye and bye, 
where the weary cease from trouble and the wicked 
never rest." 

At this moment, the Parson's eye was attracted 
to the opposite side of the road, and rushing into 
the room, he exclaimed: "Malinda, Malinda!" 
and the next moment every eye was turned in the 
direction of the old stone house. 

" How perfectly handsome he is !" ejaculated one. 

" How gracefully he walks in his new broad- 
cloth Boston outfit!" exclaimed another. 

" Yes, he's Malinda's size exactly, and his dark 
hair is just the opposite of hers; and it's two oppo- 
sites that always make the best matches," said the 
Parson's next-door neighbor's wife. 

But while this spirited conversation was going 
on in the Parson's house, there was a sudden com- 



39 2 Nicholas Comenius. 

motion ; for Malinda had fallen in a swoon, and 
had to be carried into an adjoining- room. 

"I have forgotten," resinned the reminiscent 
Nicholas, " a good many things that are new and 
some that are old, but I shall never forget the re- 
ception the Squire and the trustees gave the pro- 
fessor when he reached the old house. The very 
next Sunday after Robert and the Superintendent 
had exploded the notion that the world was coming 
to an end, the Squire got religion, but it was a new 
faith that didn't require any of the Parson's wings. 
In fact it suited the Squire better than the doctrine 
preached by the Parson ; for he said he wasn't 
ready to give up his practice at the bar anyway, 
and wanted a little more time in his old days to 
help along the modern improvements. For the 
regenerated Squire became one of the foremost ad- 
vocates of the new school system, and the personal 
friend of every young teacher, as he had been of 
every old master. Some say this change of heart 
was brought about by the young professor, while 
others incline to the opinion that it was the work 
of Hannah and her mother, who've been working 
wonders for good among the women folks of this 
town. But whatever the source of the change, it 
was genuine and permanent. Yes, the Squire's 
conversion was felt all over the district, and it 
almost paralyzed the old innkeeper of the General 
Washington ; for he didn't pay him any more 
visits, but kept at home, reading the Scriptures." 



Revolutio?i in Public Sentiment. 393 

And so when young Robert Rayland, happy in 
the realization of duty performed and conscious of 
the reward which must sooner or later crown every 
noble effort, stepped within the little stone house 
on the morning of the first day of his second term, 
there was neither faltering of step nor doubt of 
mind as to the complete transformation public 
opinion had undergone during his temporary ab- 
sence from the Emden district. 

Was this sudden revolution effected by the per- 
sonal work of one individual, and that a teacher 
of a rural school, of no consequence to the great 
army of educators which the system has since pro- 
duced ? Is a victory achieved even in a backwoods 
district, under trials and difficulties almost insur- 
mountable, of less value to the educational world 
than one gained in any other vocation of life? 

Dear teacher, has it ever been your fortune or 
misfortune to be ushered into a district school, 
with apparently the highest prospects, only to 
appreciate the lamentable fact later on, that while 
you were seemingly the choice of the entire School 
Board, some less qualified applicant held a petition 
signed by every patron in the district ? In no way 
personally responsible yourself for the unhappy 
conflict between directors and patrons, was it your 
misfortune to fall by the wayside, disheartened 
and discouraged ? Or have you the proud satisfac- 
tion of looking back to those early trials and diffi- 
culties in which your own force of character and 



394 Nicholas Comenius. 

perseverance carried you safely through to the 
end ? And do you recall your triumphant return 
to the same school the year following, and how 
you were met at the very threshold with open 
arms by those who had been most active oppon- 
ents ? These little episodes in the early experience 
of the average teacher are often among the most 
sacred and cherished of a long and eventful life. 
Happy indeed, then, must have been Robert Ray- 
land in the realization of his fondest hopes and ex- 
pectations, as he looked upon faces wrinkled with 
age, yet mellowed by that mysterious influence 
which only one strong individuality can uncon- 
sciously produce upon an entire community. 

"If memory serves me right again," remarked 
Nicholas, " not even General Lafayette, in his tri- 
umphal march through the village, met with a 
more hearty welcome than that which now awaited 
the new teacher; for it had all been arranged to 
give him a handsome send-off. There on the long 
bench sat five of the six trustees and the Squire in 
their Sunday outfits; for I tell you there was no 
discounting the old men of that early day when 
they got their heads set in a certain direction. Of 
course, they couldn't change their natures in a day, 
any more than they could their love for old Jimmy ; 
yet when they got well started under a full head of 
steam they gave the new system such a send-off, 
and it's been moving along ever since at such a 
rapid rate, that the only wonder is, with the load it 



Revolution in Public Sentiment, 395 

has had to carry, that it hasn't jumped the track 
long ago. For a long time the system kept moving 
along pretty close to the safety line ; but the older 
it gets the heavier the load becomes. As soon as 
one of those modern educators gets hold of a new 
scheme, he manages to get it off on the teachers at 
conventions, and they in turn unload it on to the 
little codgers much in the same way as they receive 
it. It's quantity without regard to quality that's 
undermining the mental faculties of the rising 
generation. But as it's all in the line of our 
modern high-pressure system, that controls every 
other department of life, there would seem to be no 
other way than for the multitude to move along 
with those who've got their hands on the lever, 
and take their chance with the young men in 
charge of the machine." 



CHAPTER XXX. 

PRESIDENT LUKINS IN FULL DRESS — HE ALARMS 

OSCAR BENTLY — EBENEZER'S SPEECH TO 

ROBERT. 

IT was Ebenezer Lukins, the President of the 
Board, who on account of his standing in the com- 
munity and recent conversion was chosen to make 
the presentation speech to the young teacher. 
Well, no sooner had he been appointed to officiate 
than he began to look wise and hustle around for a 
new outfit, suitable to the occasion ; for he wasn't 
to be outdone, even in his old days, by any of the 
ydung chaps. Of course, as he couldn't borrow a 
suit, he decided to fall back on his wedding cos- 
tume, which, although a little off in color and 
style, and never worn since the day he married 
Nancy over in the parsonage more than fifty years 
before, he considered as in all respects most appro- 
priate for the position he was to occupy. But 
Ebenezer never realized until the morning of the 
entertainment that while he had nearly doubled in 
size and weight, the old swallow-tailed coat and 
broadcloth breeches had if anything grown smaller 
both in width and length. However, after a hard 
396 



Nancy Lie kins V Reflections. 397 

tussle, Nancy and the girls managed to get the old 
gentleman well inside the ancient costume, and 
seating him astride the saddle-bags of old Nan, his 
favorite mare, started him off, happy in the reflec- 
tion that Ebenezer Lukins, for so many years Presi- 
dent of the Board of Emden school district under 
the old system, was now also to reap fresh honors 
under the new. But if Nancy was proud of the 
honors which awaited her husband, she was at the 
same time overcome with a feeling of sadness as 
her eyes followed him through the long lane which 
led from the farm-house to the main roadway. 

"Fifty years is a long time," thought Nancy, as 
her mind reverted to the old associations of her 
girlhood days, to the parsonage and the old Parson. 
Then, quietly and alone she stole over and into a 
silent room,, set apart for the quaint oddities of 
other days, unlocked and raised the lid of a leather- 
covered chest, and drew forth her own wedding 
garments. A moment later the antiquated mirror 
had reflected back her own image — but oh, how 
changed ! There, true enough, were the gorgeous 
silks and satins, and the bright-colored bonnet; 
but all these contrasted so oddly with her present 
form and appearance, that she muttered, with a 
shake of the head : 

" Yes, yes, they were gay and handsome in their 
day, as were Nancy and Ebenezer ; but who would 
ever catch a woman of my years parading through 
the town all tucked up in such an array of finery, 



398 Nicholas Comenius. 

for no other purpose than to please the young mas- 
ter? And what would Orlando Hoskins, the min- 
ister, say to see old Nancy L/ukins strutting in 
among the young folks and the new teacher, when 
she should be at home preparing for the final 
send-off, and the ending of all earthly pleasures? 
Verily, the new system has completely turned the 
head of Ebenezer, and driven him from the straight 
and narrow path of his spiritual duties, to seek a 
new salvation, as proclaimed by that apostle of the 
new educational system." 

And with these inward meditations, Nancy re- 
placed the semi-celestial robes, silks and satins, 
within the sacred precincts of the old leather-bound 
chest, to find consolation among her many house- 
hold duties. 

Quietly and alone Ebenezer wended his way 
toward the little stone house, repeating to himself 
the little speech which he had committed to mem- 
ory, unconscious of the sad reflections which had 
crossed the mind of Nancy in that silent room, 
since he had bidden her a brief good-bye a few 
moments before. Nothing of importance occurred 
to disturb his peaceful reveries until he reached the 
old hostelry. At this moment his strange attire, 
rendered doubly impressive by the peculiar style 
and shape of his high-crowned head-gear, began to 
attract attention; for by each alternating motion 
of the old nag, his cranium had been forced up- 
wards into the crown of the old-stvle beaver. 



Oscar Bently Alarmed. 399 

Whether it was the peculiar effect a stranger 
always produced on the nerves of trie score or more 
of lazy, half-starved curs that were part and parcel 
of the dilapidated surroundings, or the unsightly 
appearance of Ebenezer in particular, now unrecog- 
nizable even by his most intimate friends, as he 
came joggling along on the back of the old nag, 
has never been definitely ascertained. That the 
Bedlam of sounds at once awoke old Oscar from 
his nap, as he sat in the sunlight surrounded by a 
contingent of regulars, was apparent even to the 
unsophisticated mind of Ebenezer, who was unable 
to discover what relation, if any, he bore to the 
great army of tramps that had infested the country 
for years. 

" What strange specimen of humanity has sud- 
denly found his way into the very heart of 
Einden?" thought Oscar, as he began to recover 
consciousness with a start. Was this a second edi- 
tion of Rip Van Winkle, returning to his long-lost 
home after an absence of twenty years? 

"I declare by the shades of Shaky Hollow," 
spoke a tall, slender, middle-aged hanger-on, rising 
from his lounging posture, "that it's none other 
than one of the advance guard of the old prophet 
W'illiam Miller, or else that long-looked-for person- 
age himself. ' ' 

The idea that the fatal hour of reckoning had at 
last come at once took possession of the bewildered 
mind of the now thoroughly frightened innkeeper, 



400 Nicholas Comcnius. 

as lie beheld the strange and grotesque figure pre- 
paring to dismount at his very door. Rushing into 
the bar-room with all the haste he could command, 
he summoned his devoted wife to his side and 
tremblingly exclaimed, with big tears trickling 
down his cheeks : 

"Amelia, my good, faithful Amelia, we're 
ruined, we're ruined. Send for the Squire, for I 
must make my will. Square up the accounts with 
the regulars, and make a liberal discount for cash 
payment. It's all up at last with the honest old 
innkeeper of the General Washington, who has 
never done a mean act in his life, if I do say it my- 
self. Get your Sunday clothes ready, Amelia, for 
the old prophet has come in person to proclaim the 
end of terrestrial things. Oh, if the old man could 
only be spared for a week longer, I'd clear the bar, 
empty out the wine and spirits, start a prayer-meet- 
ing among the regulars, and get myself measured 
for a new suit, that would give me a respectable 
standing among the church-going people when we 
all go soaring off together among the planets ! But 
it's too late — too late for repentance now! " 

At this important juncture a bright idea struck 
Amelia, who replied : " Bring him in, Oscar, and 
maybe you can buy him off with a little of the best 
schnapps in the cellar, or get him to postpone the 
exercises until the old man can get himself worked 
up to the starting point." 

But while the landlord was still trembling in 



Oscar Recognizes Ebenezer. 401 

every nerve, the door suddenly opened, and in 
stepped Ebenezer, followed by the throng of idlers 
who had by this time discovered the true character 
and purpose of the old gentleman's mission. 
Cringingly the terrified landlord approached the 
stranger and said : 

" In the name of my good wife and family, have 
mercy on the old man and give him a few days 
longer to prepare himself; and don't take him off 
with this old outfit, which, while it may be all 
right for the General Washington, isn't at all 
suited for the Upward Journey." 

Beckoning the old lady, Ebenezer approached 
the bar, and after succeeding by a desperate effort 
in removing his head-gear, said : " A little schnapps, 
and hurry it along ; for Ebenezer L,ukins is down 
for the presentation speech over at the old school, 
and he must be moving." 

Hearing the familiar voice of Ebenezer, Oscar, 
bounding to his feet, exclaimed : " Amelia, Amelia, 
run down into the cellar and bring my friend Ebe- 
nezer a little of the straight unadulterated spirits, 
that's never been tapped ; and call in the regulars 
to join with old Oscar, now himself again." Then, 
taking Ebenezer aside, he related in most graphic 
language the trance through which he positively 
declared he had passed ; the strange hallucinations 
that had flashed upon his mind while the queer 
spell was on. 

But however inclined the disingenuous proprietor 
26 



402 Nicholas Comenhis. 

of the General Washington may have been to de- 
ceive, as well as conciliate Ebenezer, he was in a 
manner irresponsible ; for the wily intrigues of the 
Hoskins family had completely encompassed him 
with a net-work of their own false doctrines. 
Even men of stronger mental and physical endow- 
ments than Oscar were at times so thoroughly 
imbued with the idea that the end of all things 
mortal was destined to come in the near future, 
that every stranger was looked upon with awe and 
suspicion, as a messenger direct from the Prophet 
himself. And so for many years, after all these 
evil prognostications had failed to materialize, 
many of the earlier superstitions were so well 
grounded into the very nature of the people of 
Emden, that it required all the great force of 
character of Robert Rayland to make possible any 
new departure in the direction of a healthy moral 
and intellectual development among them. 

If Ebenezer's mind, up to the time he reached 
the old inn, had been peaceful and tranquil, it was 
no longer in that condition. Was there anything 
in his general appearance so changed or grotesque 
as to mislead the old landlord into mistaking his 
real identity? or had Oscar's mind suddenly given 
way under the fanatical strain which had so often 
tested the strength of his own mental faculties? 
These reflections seemed to be uppermost in Ebe- 
nezer's mind as he jogged along, the observed of 
all observers, with here and there a motley crowd 



Ebenezer in the School-house. 403 

of idlers, who stood content with simply a glance 
at his stylish outfit. He had not proceeded far 
when he was intercepted by an advance committee, 
who assured him that without his august presence 
the entertainment was doomed to ignominious 
failure. This assurance of renewed confidence on 
the part of the committee caused him to redouble 
his speed, and a moment later he stood like a 
second Daniel Webster beneath the old oak, his 
mind concentrated on the momentous topic which 
was to engross his attention and that of those who 
had been so anxiously awaiting his appearance. 
Entering the old house with that firm and elastic 
step which is always an indication of self-reliance 
and assurance, and surveying the audience with the 
dignity which age and gorgeous costume always 
add to those who are entrusted with the discharge 
of some official duty, Ebenezer allowed himself to 
be escorted to the only vacant seat at the head of 
the column, thus filling out the complement of 
exalted literary personages, comprising the highest 
culture, the most comprehensive learning and the 
broadest statesmanship of Emden's inhabitants. 

Owing to the delay at the General Washington, 
the exercises were well under way when the Presi- 
dent of the Board arrived, so that in the delivery 
of his remarks the charge of plagiarism could at 
least not in truth be made against him. At the 
opportune moment, Ebenezer was conducted by 
that noble personage, the Squire, to the centre of 



404 Nicholas Comenius 

the platform, where he stood for a moment sorely 
perplexed at the formidable array of eyes, which 
seemed to take in at one glance the glitter of his 
superb adornments, bedecked here and there by 
rows of large brass buttons, appropriated for the 
occasion from an old Revolutionary uniform and 
polished by the strong arm and nimble fingers of 
the faithful Nancy. 

While all had noticed the change in Ebenezer's 
appearance, how many understood the bent of his 
mind, or could fathom the depth of his understand- 
ing ? Were his remarks to be in keeping with his 
outward demeanor — a mere rambling harrangue 
intended to draw attention to himself? Or was 
he, notwithstanding his peculiar and unbecoming 
costume, deeply impressed with the solemnity of 
the occasion? There could be no mistaking the 
responsibility which he felt rested upon him, as he 
gave expression to the very first sentence : 

" My good friends and neighbors, for more than 
sixty years I have lived among the people of Em- 
den ; and yet sixty years is but a span with the 
great chronicler of time. More than eighteen 
hundred years ago there was decreed to the world 
by the greatest of all teachers, a new dispensation ; 
and while the words of that Blessed Man of old 
have since fallen upon many cold and unwilling 
ears, the light of His countenance has been the 
guiding star under whose divine inspiration our 
ancestors, driven as they were from their homes 



The President' 's Address. 405 

beyond the sea, at last found an asylum in the New 
World. Here in a dense wilderness they settled 
more than one hundred and fifty years ago, and 
built and dedicated to the cause of religious free- 
dom, as they understood it, this old sandstone 
structure. Within the sacred walls of this temple 
of learning onr forefathers and their children — 
whose hearts were quickened by a new hope of a 
more glorious future — received their first lessons 
from the pages of the old Bible. From its pages 
our young minds were fed and nourished, and from 
its teachings we grew from youth into old age ; 
accepting at all times the very letter of the text, 
rather than its living spirit. 

"From the time the Great Teacher first preached 
the Sermon from the Mount, proclaiming salvation 
to all mankind, the world has had its false proph- 
ets; and with our forefathers, driven as they were 
from the fatherland, came these same false teach- 
ers, who have ever since resided among the plain 
and simple-hearted people, binding their hearts 
and consciences with fetters of iron. If in our 
quiet moments a bright ray of hope sparkled forth 
from the pages of His holy word and found an 
abiding place within our hearts, it was as quickly 
dispelled by those whose mission among us was to 
expound the faith in accordance with their own 
narrow and imperfect interpretations. But after 
more than five generations of bigotry, superstition 
and false teaching, the dark clouds of religious 



406 Nicholas Comenius. 

fanaticism have at last been dispersed, and to-day 
the bright and glorious sunlight of heaven shines 
upon this little assembly. The dark and gloomy 
forebodings which hung over me when I left the 
old farm no longer enshroud my vision. The little 
episode which occurred at the General Washington 
has taught me that the teachings of Orlando Hos- 
kins and his class are a part of this same false doc- 
trine, which has held in subjection the hearts of 
our people these many years." 

Then turning to Robert Rayland, he said: "One 
short year ago you came among the conservative 
people of this village an entire stranger. Then 
the hand of every man was against you. We be- 
lieved in the old system, in the old minister, and 
in the master, Jimmy McCune, while you repre- 
sented a new system and a new faith. While the 
old men who are here to-day to welcome you back 
to their homes and firesides can look deeper into a 
ploughed furrow, you, a much younger man, can 
look far deeper into the mysteries of the human 
mind. While the old Parson has held strictly to 
the letter of the text, and while he has cast a 
gloom over many a fireside by keeping his little 
flock in constant dread of a calamity which was 
sure to befall them sooner or later, you, in your 
plain interpretation of the Scriptures, have filled 
the hearts of our boys and girls with a deep love 
not only for their parents, but for the new teacher 
as well. There is, however, one other who shall 



The President's Address. 407 

ever be held in grateful remembrance by the 
people of Emden. I refer to Nicholas Comenius; 
for it was he who in the darkest hours dispelled the 
clouds which hung over our minds, on that beauti- 
ful moonlight evening as we sat on the porch over 
at yonder farm. The words which fell from the 
lips of that great and worthy disciple of the new 
system will ever have an abiding place within our 
hearts. 

'' And now, Robert Rayland, allow me, on be- 
half of the school authorities of Emden district, 
and in the name of Nicholas Comenius, who has 
been the defender of this old house these many 
years, to present to you this old leather-bound 
Bible, which for so many years has rested upon the 
ancient mautle-piece. May the inspired words it 
contains be a blessing to your little flock, and a 
comfort and solace even to the end of time. " 

At the close of Ebenezer's speech, which was in 
such marked contrast with his outward appearance, 
a death-like silence prevailed throughout the 
assembled multitude, to be finally broken by Rob- 
ert Rayland, who in a few modest, appreciative 
remarks, accepted the gift, and thanked the Presi- 
dent for the honor conferred. Opening the old 
Bible, he read a chapter in his clear, forcible man- 
ner, and after a benediction the exercises termi- 
nated, with the new system firmly anchored among 
the conservative people of Emden district. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

PARTING WITH HANNAH — THE HOLIDAY SEASON 

— ORLANDO BRINGS MALINDA TO SCHOOL — 

ROBERT DENOUNCES HIS DOCTRINES. 

For a time, and until the holiday season ap- 
proached, Robert Rayland was monarch of all he 
surveyed in the sandstone school at Hmden. 
There came a time however when a parting be- 
came necessary ; not that Robert had resigned, 
nor that the school authorities had closed the 
school " on account of the insubordination of the 
teacher." On the other hand, Robert was too 
deeply interested in his little flock to think of 
leaving them, and the directors were too loyal to 
the young teacher to question his authority. What 
event then had cast a shadow over the little school 
of Hmden? Why, at the closing hour preceding 
the Christmas holiday season, should Robert Ray- 
land look sad, and the boys and girls leave the old 
school with heavy hearts? It was simply because 
of the announcement by Hannah that her school- 
days in Emden were ended, and that she would 
depart on the first day of the New Year, to com- 
plete her education in a distant Normal school. 
408 



Hannah's Last Week in Emden. 409 

If the closing hours at the village school were 
sad, the intervening days, following Christinas and 
ending with New Year's day, more than compen- 
sated for them in social pleasure. The present 
Christmas-tide was one for which the good people 
of Emden had abundant cause to be thankful ; for 
a kindlier feeling and a more generous hospitality 
prevailed among them than ever before. Had 
there not been a divided public school sentiment 
only a short year before, and had not the doctrine 
of Millerism been making deep inroads among the 
pious people of the village? Now, however, with 
an exception here and there, peace and perfect 
good-will prevailed, making this Christmas a holi- 
day season in which young and old joined in 
hallowed enjoyment of the olden-time simplicity. 

But above all, was not this Hannah's last week 
in Emden? And why should not this in itself 
have added to the charm encircling each family 
fireside? Among many doors of hospitable homes 
that were thrown wide open to welcome the young 
girl, that of the Parson's mansion was certainly no 
exception ; for however bitter may have been her 
dislike for Hannah and Robert Rayland, Mrs. 
Orlando Hoskins was too discreet and judicious in 
her deportment to fail to manifest at least an out- 
ward regard for the civilities which the holiday 
season demanded. Besides, there was one peculiar- 
ity among the rural population in those early days 
of simple manners, that atoned for a host of imper- 



410 Nicholas Comenius. 

fections and shortcomings: for when the Christmas 
season approached, the tongue of gossip was as 
silent as the graves over in the old church-yard. 
Unhappily, many of those old-time customs no 
longer prevail among the more educated and pros- 
perous people of Emden at the present day. 

At last the first day of the New Year was ushered 
in, amid the jingle of sleigh-bells and the creaking 
sounds of ponderous wheels of the Conestoga 
teams, on hard, frozen snow. All Emden seemed 
to be on tiptoe of excitement, as the boys and girls 
hastened to join the throng of saddened hearts to 
bid their schoolmate farewell, as she was wrapped 
in the warm robes of the old sleigh en route for 
her distant school. 

A few hours later, and the observing visitor at 
the old school would scarcely have noticed any 
marked change, either in the band of little workers 
or in the appearance of Robert Rayland. If away 
deep in his manly nature there was a feeling of 
sadness, he kept it hidden within his own breast. 
With the morning following, however, came new 
and unlooked-for responsibilities. Robert had 
scarcely finished reading a chapter from the old 
leather-covered Bible when the door opened, and 
bowingly entered the tall, slender form of Orlando 
Hoskins, and by his side Malinda, with a half- 
suppressed smile upon her face, that betrayed the 
satisfaction she felt in anticipation of occupying 
the seat vacated by Hannah. 



Orlando Visits the School. 4 1 1 

Before Robert could recover from his surprise, 
the old Parson began in his most gracious and per- 
suasive manner to explain the object of his visit. 
Now it was evident to nine-tenths of the people of 
Kmden that Malinda was the very opposite of pre- 
possessing, having inherited many of the physical 
peculiarities of her father. 

" I believe I have the honor of addressing Mr. 
Rayland," hesitatingly said Orlando, as he extended 
his hand, with a peculiar bending movement of his 
body, in the direction of Robert, who stood some 
distance away, quietly surveying his distinguished 
visitor. "I regret exceedingly that the Hoskins 
family has been denied a more intimate acquaint- 
ance with the successor of the late Jimmy McCune, 
that Christian and scholarly old gentleman, and 
that you have failed to give the minister's wife 
that attention and due respect which her station in 
the community would seem to demand from the 
new teacher. But I am willing to overlook the 
past, with the assurance that in the future our re- 
lations may be more pleasant and profitable. How- 
ever, as my visit is purely one of business, and 
exceedingly important at that, I shall hesitate no 
longer in making it known without further cere- 
mony. Allow me, therefore, Mr. Rayland, to in- 
troduce to you my daughter, Malinda or ' Malind,' 
as she is more familiarly known over at the parson- 
age. Yon will readily perceive, after a more intimate 
acquaintance, that Malinda is a girl of many strik- 



4 1 2 Nicholas Comenius. 

ing and remarkable traits of character. That na- 
ture has endowed her with a vigorous constitution, 
an open expression, and a tender and harmless dis- 
position, must be admitted by all who have had 
the pleasure of an acquaintance with one so young 
in years and yet so matured in all the attributes 
which constitute the perfect female character. In 
fact, she graduated under the master, some two 
years ago, in all the branches except possibly the 
dead languages; and by a more thorough acquaint- 
ance with these most indispensable attainments, in 
addition to her many personal accomplishments, 
there is every reason to believe she will stand as 
the leader of Emden's most intellectual society. 
Now if you can give her the seat recently vacated 
by Hannah Benton, the Squire's daughter, who I 
understand has been spirited away to college, with- 
out any special training or social standing back of 
her, I'm sure she wouldn't mind assisting the larger 
boys and girls, now and then, in their studies. 
Yes, 'Malind' has always been an uncommonly 
bright girl, and before she was eight years old she 
could skip clear through the whole alphabet from 
A to Z, and could count from one to one hundred 
quicker than Orlando Hoskins could rattle off a 
chapter from the Old Testament." 

" To what extent has your daughter pursued her 
studies in the common branches?" inquired Rob- 
ert, who up to this time had remained a silent ob- 
server. 



Robert Questions Malinda. 413 

"Speak out, Malinda, and enlighten the teach- 
er's mind on these trifling subjects. Name the 
branches in their regular order, daughter," sug- 
gested Orlando. 

"I've graduated in readin', 'ritin', 'rithmetic and 
manners," said Malinda, in her supercilious tone 
of voice. 

"Have you ever studied Analysis of Grammar, 
Rhetoric and Composition, Geography, History, 
Chemistry, or Botany, or any of the underlying 
principles which constitute the foundation of a 
thorough education?" suggested Robert. 

" Come, now, Mr. Ray land," said Orlando, grow- 
ing impatient and gesticulating with both arms, 
"do not press a young, diffident girl too severely on 
the new-fangled studies, that have sprung into ex- 
istence like a bed of mushrooms. Confine your 
questions to the subjects in which my daughter is 
proficient, and don't hurt her feelings at the very 
start, by straying off among the doctrines and the- 
ories that the new system has invented." 

"So you have graduated m Reading, Writing 
and Arithmetic? Well, as your father suggests, I 
will confine myself to those important subjects, and 
will give you a few questions in arithmetic in order 
to ascertain your proficiency in that important 
branch. If the globe upon which we live is 
twenty-five thousand miles in circumference, what 
is its diameter?" 

" Hold on a moment, young man, and don't be 



4t4 Nicholas Comenius. 

getting yourself mixed tip in the Scriptures, unless 
you want the old man to take a hand ; and when 
Orlando Hoskins gets started upon that point he'll 
cut a broad swath clear through the school. Con- 
fine yourself to the questions in the old Arithmetic 
book, and don't be running into Geography and the 
like. Take my advice and steer clear of the Scrip- 
tures, and don't be teaching any of your false doc- 
trines around this neighborhood. It isn't Malinda 
that's going to admit that the world's round, any 
more than the old Parson, who for more than 
twenty years has been knocking all such absurd 
nonsense clear out of the heads of the parishioners. 
Malinda, — read the tenth chapter of the book of 
Genesis for the new teacher, and show him how 
you can rattle off the big names without skipping 
one. 

"Now, if I'm a judge," continued Orlando, "it's 
in reading and pronouncing the Scriptural words 
that you make your record and receive your stand- 
ing in the school. Malinda, by actual count, has 
read them through no less than thirteen times, and 
if it hadn't been for that unlucky number she'd 
have broken the record. As it is, the poor girl's 
mind has been giving way of late under the strain 
of trying to harmonize all the conflicting state- 
ments as you find them scattered through the big 
Book. 

" Of course, ' Malind ' has had her share of dis- 
appointments of late. In the first place, a young 



Malinda s Disappointments. 415 

man coming into a strange town don't always 
know what's good for him, and is apt to go clear 
through the cane-brake and get a crooked stick in 
the end — understand? It's been my experience 
ever since I was a young man, that the only safe 
course for any young fellow to take is to hang 
pretty close to the Parson's teachings, and to man- 
age, if possible, to get accommodations in the min- 
ister's family. The truth is, and I may as well 
confess it, Malinda was a little disappointed that 
the new teacher had gone astray and fallen from 
grace ; but she couldn't help it, as she has all her 
life been a most tender-hearted girl." 

At this moment the attention of the whole 
school was directed toward Malinda, who was ap- 
parently engaged in wiping the big tears from her 
eyes with a red cotton handkerchief. 

" But the saddest blow of all to the dear girl," 
continued Orlando, " was the disappointment she 
suffered when the Ascension did not occur. True, 
it was a mistake on the part of Orlando, and one 
that cost him many a follower ; but it was no fault 
of his, but of the miscalculation in the almanac, 
that the prediction didn't come true to the minute. 
Come now, dry your eyes, my daughter, and read 
a chapter for the teacher, and show him how you 
can rattle off the hard names." 

A moment later, and Malinda was floundering 
among the long list of difficult Scripture names, 
hesitating at this one and almost choking at the 



41 6 Nuliolas Comenius. 

next, until Orlando, who by this time had become 
almost frantic with rage, attempted to extricate the 
poor girl from her difficulties. At this most crit- 
ical juncture, Robert interrupted her by saying, in 
a kindly and yet determined tone of voice : 

'' Mr. Hoskins, while I have no doubt that you 
have a very exalted idea of your daughter's at- 
tainments, I am at the same time of the opinion 
that you have very much over-estimated them. 
Yet, while my school is somewhat over-crowded, I 
shall be pleased to give her a seat. It will be nec- 
essary for her to submit to the same regulations I 
require of all my other pupils. And furthermore, 
for the present at least, all thoughts of what you 
term the dead languages must be abandoned. 
Malinda may be well versed in your peculiar con- 
struction of the Scriptures, but the common school 
system recognizes no particular faith or doctrine, 
and rests upon the New Testament in its broadest 
and most comprehensive construction. 

"Ivet me here say that I am unalterably opposed 
to your dogmas and doctrines, and in my individual 
capacity shall use every fair means in the future, 
as I have in the past, to liberate the good people 
of Emden from the meshes into which you have 
for these many years sought to entrap them. If it 
should be necessary for me to take the stand pub- 
licly to denounce your false doctrines, I stand 
ready to sacrifice all that I have to accomplish that 
most desirable end. I therefore now serve warning 



Orlando s Wrath. 417 

on you, to prepare to meet that righteous public 
sentiment which sooner or later will drive you 
from the village of Emden ; and that I cannot be 
enticed from the straight and narrow path of what 
I conceive to be my plain duty, either through the 
soft. words of flattery, or through any other means 
by which you may seek to retard my purpose." 

At this unlooked-for rejoinder on the part of 
Robert, who stood erect in the full strength of his 
manhood, there was no recourse for Orlando ex- 
cept a hasty retreat ; so, taking Malinda by the 
hand, he said : " Young man, prepare yourself to 
meet the wrath of Orlando Hoskins ;" then, bow- 
ing, he withdrew from the school, leaving Robert 
to pursue the even tenor of his way, at least for a 
time, unmolested. 

When the hour of noon arrived, the news of the 
encounter between Robert and the Parson spread 
to every part of the village, and before the day had 
ended congratulations began to pour in on the 
young teacher. Even the Squire and the inn- 
keeper were among the first to congratulate him, 
and to express their satisfaction that one man at 
least had been found to measure swords with the 
old Parson. There was general rejoicing through- 
out Emden that the Rev. Orlando Hoskins had 
been overthrown, and that the hour of deliverance 
was at last come. Freedom of conscience from the 
thraldom of bigotry and persecution seemed at last 
to smile upon the good people of Emden. That 
27 



41 8 Nicholas Comenius. 

Orlando had met his Waterloo at the hands of the 
young teacher was accepted on all sides as the be- 
ginning of the end. And yet, on the other hand, 
after the excitement of the moment had subsided, 
Robert was not unmindful of the fact that he might 
have committed an indiscretion ; and that there 
was after all a question as to the justification of his 
course in making an open attack upon the old Par- 
son and the cause he represented. That he had 
assumed a grave responsibility, in striking at the 
very foundation of a religious creed whose adher- 
ents included not only the Parson's family, but 
hundreds of others of his blinded and devoted fol- 
lowers, became more apparent as he reviewed the 
situation. 

Orlando Hoskins had been humiliated and mor- 
tified before the whole school, many of whose boys 
and girls were the sons and daughters of his pres- 
ent and former parishioners, and he was not the 
man humbly to submit to such a gross indignity 
without an effort at least to vindicate his self- 
respect. Not only was self-preservation, with Or- 
lando, "the first law of nature;" it was a cardinal 
principle with him never to be attacked without a 
return in the same shape and measure. " An eye 
for an eye and a tooth for a tooth ' ' was still part 
of his creed. He did not believe in returning 
good for evil. And so he resolved to crush the 
New England school teacher and the "godless free 
school system," as he termed it, at one blow, if it 



More Trouble Brewing. 419 

took the whole power of the church to accomplish 
his purpose. If the deadly hatred lurking in the 
heart of Orlando found expression at all, it was 
confined to a chosen few of his trusty adherents. 
The other members of the Hoskins family were 
even more circumspect and considerate in their 
outward expressions than they had ever been be- 
fore ; and yet those who were at all familiar with 
the Parson's family were not slow in reaching the 
conclusion that beneath this thin disguise there 
was something deeper than was apparent on the 
surface. 

Even the expression of Malinda, instead of being 
downcast and dejected, was that of perfect content- 
ment, as if in anticipation of some event that was 
to startle all Eniden from centre to circumference. 
But the movements of the old Parson were 
shrouded in mystery, even to the inquisitive minds 
of the innkeeper of the General Washington and 
his contingent of regulars, who were ever on the 
alert to gather and magnify every rumor afloat 
throughout the surrounding country. 

But if amid the quiet that prevailed, such as 
oftentimes is the precursor of the coming storm, 
there was a lack of town gossip, the lull was of 
short duration. 



CHAPTER XXXIL 

SHAKY HOLLOW — A MYSTERIOUS PROCESSION — 

ROBERT DISAPPEARS — ORLANDO TRIED EOR 

KIDNAPING — THE LOST IS FOUND. 

Certain nocturnal pilgrimages of Parson Hos- 
kins on his dapper little gray mare had caused 
Oscar Bently profound cogitation as to the proba- 
bility of some deep-laid plot. It was not however, 
until exaggerated rumors had reached the village 
from Shaky Hollow, that the reverend gentleman 
had been seen in one or more of his midnight 
strolls in that dark and secluded retreat, that old 
Oscar began to consider the fearful consequences 
which might result to the General Washington 
should that important personage issue another pre- 
diction. From certain signs upon which lie had 
always relied, and which heretofore had never 
failed him, he was satisfied in his own mind that 
new trouble was awaiting the good people of 
Ernden. 

In the general appearance of its surroundings 

and in the peculiar character of its people, their 

superstitions and habits, Shaky Hollow might 

well claim pre-eminence over that other tradi- 

420 



Orlando s Mysterious yourneys. 421 

tionary defile in the Catskills, known to all the 
world as Sleepy Hollow. Shaky Hollow, even 
during pre-revolutionary times, was known far and 
near for its peculiar sect of Christians, commonly 
nicknamed Shaking Quakers, from which the spot 
received its name. It was among these simple and 
misguided people that Orlando Hoskins happened 
to settle, before his removal to the village of Em- 
den, where a broader field of usefulness seemed to 
await him ; and it was there in the broad virgin 
forest that he began his missionary work, and laid 
the foundation of the doctrine of Millerism so 
firmly that none before Robert Rayland had ever 
had the courage to question his authority. From 
this obscure settlement Squire Benton drew a great 
part of his clientage from year to year, and the 
regulars their never-failing supply of tales of 
mystery. 

It was drawing well on towards midnight of the 
day following the first definite report of Orlando's 
pilgrimages on these lonely by-ways, that a rap 
on the door of the old inn startled Oscar from one 
of his dreamy meditations. Entering the dusky 
bar-room, the traveler, for such he proved to be, 
related in graphic language how a very strange 
apparition had crossed his pathway that night in 
the region of Shaky Hollow. He declared that 
while strolling along through a narrow defile he 
had suddenly encountered in the darkness a dozen 
or more riders, muffled and disguised, guarding a 



422 Nicholas Comenius. 

rickety old dearborn, in front of which rode, on a 
little, shaggy gray mare, a tall, gaunt-looking indi- 
vidual, so disguised as to preclude the possibility 
of recognition. 

These startling words had scarcely been uttered 
when the venerable Squire, rushing into the room, 
made urgent inquiry as to the whereabouts of 
Robert Ray land. 

As had been his usual custom, Robert had gone 
to the little red sandstone school-house during 
the early evening to pursue his studies, but thus 
far he had failed to return. That Robert Ray- 
land had been kidnaped and spirited away to the 
wilds of Shaky Hollow, amid the howling of the 
storm without, was at once accepted as the only 
reasonable explanation of his disappearance. Had 
the village been enveloped in flames the consterna- 
tion could scarcely have been greater. 

A moment later, and the stubby form of old 
Oscar might have been seen standing beneath the 
tower in which had hung for so many years a 
heavy bell, used in days gone by as a signal an- 
nouncing the arrival of many an old stage-coach. 
His short but muscular arms were stretched up- 
ward, with hands grasping the greasy old rope, 
with his body swinging backward and forward, as 
the sounds of warning rang out over all Emden, 
awaking both young and old from slumbers such 
as only a clear conscience and a tired body can 
give. The contingent of regulars, whose actual 



Robert Disappears. 423 

mission in life had never before been fully deter- 
mined, now seemed for the first time to realize the 
object of their creation, that of scouring the wilds 
and hidden recesses of Shaky Hollow in search of 
the missing Robert Rayland. 

Before the bright sun had begun to cast his re- 
fulgent beams over the glistening snow and 
through the heavy-laden branches of woodland, 
teeming with myriads of sparkling diamonds 
which the storm had deposited but a few hours be- 
fore, as if to make the gloom within a perfect con- 
trast with nature without, all Emden was in the 
wildest state of confusion. A hasty inspection of 
the old house seemed to furnish all the evidence 
needed to warrant the conclusion that a dastardly 
crime had been committed in the very heart of the 
village. Who the instigators of this cowardly out- 
rage were, whence they came, and whither they 
had conveyed their captive, was a problem the 
solution of which needed manly courage and 
prompt action. Before the echoes of the old bell 
had died away among the distant hills, the regu- 
lars, headed by Oscar Bently, were on their way to 
Shaky Hollow, with a determination to liberate 
the victim and capture the perpetrators, if strong 
arms and brave hearts could accomplish the pur- 
pose. 

That suspicion from the very first rested upon 
Orlando Hoskins, was admitted on all sides, not- 
withstanding the fact that he was among the most 



424 Nicholas Comenhis. 

active in rendering- every assistance possible, and 
that Malinda and her mother were loud in their 
outward expressions of grief and sorrow. But not- 
withstanding" the circumstances connecting the 
minister with the kidnaping of the young teacher, 
there was one, and only one, who amid the clamor 
for speedy measures to convict and punish, stood 
like a guardian angel in the full strength of her 
womanly nature, urging deliberate counsel and 
moderation. 

At the end of the second day the most indisput- 
able evidence came with the return of the search- 
ers. A shoe from the Parson's mare had been 
accidentally found close to the spot where the 
stranger had seen the singular conveyance ; also a 
spur which fitted the heel of the Parson's right 
b6ot ; besides numerous other proofs which in 
themselves were sufficient to surround that un- 
fortunate personage with a network of evidence 
from which it seemed there was no escape. The 
fact that, though a minister of the gospel, he was a 
personal enemy of the young teacher, and had har- 
bored against him the deepest resentment ; even 
the notion that he was possessed of certain super- 
natural powers, combined to convict him before 
the bar of public opinion. 

Another day passed with no word of the missing 
Robert, and as night again approached the excite- 
ment became more and more intensified, in antici- 
pation of the return of the regulars ; and when late 



The Parson in Danger. 425 

in the evening the familiar voice of Oscar was 
heard, announcing another failure and disappoint- 
ment, the feeling increased to such an alarming 
extent that an additional guard became necessary 
for the better protection of the Parson's family. 
Even the Squire's wife came in for a share of 
abuse, for attempting to defend or shield the sinful 
old false prophet. But to all such remarks she 
would simply reply in her own quiet way : 

" Yes, yes, he may be a wolf in sheep's clothing, 
and he may have spirited away our beloved teacher ; 
but only last night I had a deep and startling pre- 
sentiment. In the vision which passed before me, 
I beheld Robert lying helpless among strangers, 
whither he had wandered alone in the darkness of 
night. And yet this strange apparition may have 
been caused by his sad and careworn expression as 
he started in the direction of the old school-house. 
Orlando may be guilty, and if so he deserves the 
full penalty the law may inflict ; but until you have 
proof positive and direct, judge not too harshly." 

While these words of wisdom fell from the lips 
of Mother Benton, addressed to the group of angry 
and excited men who had met to consult with the 
Squire in reference to the advisability of organiz- 
ing a vigilance committee, for the ostensible pur- 
pose of stringing up the Parson to the nearest limb 
of the old oak as a warning to all future evil-doers, 
the motley crowd which had gathered around the 
General Washington, in anticipation of some posi- 



Orlando on Trial. 427 

tive information concerning the whereabouts of 
Robert, had become by this time a savage mob, 
waiting only for some courageous spirit ready to 
lead the way. At last, as a compromise, charges 
were preferred against Orlando for kidnaping, and 
against Malinda and her mother for complicity in 
the crime ; and the trial of the defendants was de- 
manded without further delay. 

If the crowd of faces without bore evidence of the 
deepest anxiety, those within the Squire's office 
were affected to even a greater degree. On one 
side sat the Board of School Directors of Emden, 
headed by Ebenezer, the President, and several 
prominent citizens who had been summoned to 
attend as witnesses ; while on the opposite side 
were Orlando, Malinda and her heart-stricken 
mother. In the centre of the group stood the 
dignified Squire, whose countenance indicated con- 
flicting shades of feeling, alternating from the 
most poignant grief and despair to doubt of his 
own ability to administer justice in so important 
a matter, in accordance with the law and the 
evidence. 

Having heard the testimony for the complain- 
ants, which seemed to point unmistakably to the 
guilt of the defendants on the charge of kidnaping 
and spiriting away into the wilds of Shaky Hollow 
the missing teacher, the Squire adjusted his spec- 
tacles, and after a protracted research through a 
half-dozen authorities, announced that he had de- 



428 Nicliolas Comenius. 

» 

cided to commit Orlando Hoskins for trial at court, 
and would proceed to prepare the necessary papers. 

While all eyes were riveted upon the defendants, 
who sat with bended heads and shattered hopes, 
the proceedings were temporarily interrupted by 
the sound of carriage wheels, halting at the door 
of the Squire's office. A moment later, and the 
severe expression on the faces of the assembled 
crowd changed to one of speechless astonishment, 
when a tap at the door ushered into their midst the 
living form and presence of Robert Rayland. If 
an apparition from another world had risen from 
the floor beneath their feet, it could not have pro- 
duced a more startling effect. It was only when 
the familiar tones of Robert fell upon their bewil- 
dered ears, that they fully realized that it was not 
a supernatural but a natural phenomenon, whose 
meaning was about to be explained by the central 
figure of the strange drama. 

After expressing a deep regret that he had 
figured in a role which had disturbed the peace 
and quietude of the people among whom he 
labored, and whom he had learned to hold in pro- 
found esteem, Robert began his story, assuring 
them that he alone must be held responsible for 
his strange disappearance; that he only must be 
blamed for any errors made, or suspicions created, 
in the excitement which his singular absence 
would naturally produce in the community. 

u I am extremely anxious," he continued, "in as 



The Lost is Found. 429 

few words, and as far as possible, to explain my 
movements for the past few days. For some time 
before I made my last visit to the old school-house, 
I was suffering from an acute attack of insomnia, ' 
superinduced by the pressure of worry and over- 
work. My nerves were wrought up to the highest 
tension ; at times an excruciating pain would seize 
my head that would make it throb like a trip- 
hammer, and for the moment arrest and suspend 
the current of my thoughts. I stood up bravely 
against this insidious foe, and, with the aid of 
reason and common sense, expected in time to 
allay the excitement and recover my usual health. 
But the rush of work, combined with worry 
brought on in great measure by the fatal and far- 
reaching influence upon young and old of the 
fanatical teachings of a doctrine which in its very 
essence is at variance with the ordinary facts of life, 
were too much for my enfeebled strength. I 
needed rest and change of scene to rally my 
strength, but foolishly turned a deaf ear to the de- 
mands of an abused and protesting system. 

" On the evening I last went to the school-house, 
I was suffering from severe and protracted neural- 
gia. When I reached the school-room the pain 
became so violent, the very atmosphere grew so 
hot and oppressive that it seemed like a flame of 
fire. In an agony of pain I rushed out of the room 
to drink in the cool air, like a man famishing for a 
drink of water. The delirious craving for fresh 



430 Nicholas Contemns. 

air carried me farther and farther away from the 
old house ; finally I lost consciousness of my per- 
sonal identity, yet kept on rushing over fields and 
woods. My strange conduct at last attracted the 
attention of a good man who kindly took me into 
his house, and under the sedative influence of rest 
and gentle nursing I regained my powers of mind 
and soon established a chain of connection between 
my situation at the home of my friend and my 
former self. To-day I felt strong enough to make 
the ten-mile drive — the distance I had wandered 
from Emden — and with the exception of fatigue 
and a general weakness incident to my strange ex- 
perience, I feel that the crisis of my peculiar con- 
dition has been passed." 

Pen fails to picture the scene which followed the 
words that fell from the lips of Robert Rayland, 
but it will ever be held in remembrance by those 
who witnessed it, and transmitted from father to 
son until it is finally stored in the archives, along 
with the many other traditions which have cast a 
halo around the simplicity of rural life in the olden 
time. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

ROBERT VINDICATES ORLANDO — THE PARSON'S RE- 
CANTATION — THE FADED FLOWER OF SHAKY 
HOLLOW — PEACE AND GOOD-WILL. 

Hesitating for a moment, as if under some se- 
vere mental restraint, Robert suddenly turned, and 
grasping the aged Parson firmly by the hand, said 
in a clear, unfaltering tone of voice : " However I 
may have been impressed at the time by the un- 
happy occurrences which took place in the old 
stone school-house, prior to my singular and mys- 
terious disappearance, justice demands that I 
should declare you, before all present, innocent of 
the crime with which you stand charged." 

Then Orlando, raising his bended form, and fully 
realizing the unfortunate position in which he had 
been placed, replied: "With heart overflowing 
with the deepest anguish and humiliation, conse- 
quent upon the unfortunate position in which I am 
here placed to answer the charge of one of the 
highest and most ignominious crimes known to 
the law, it is not my purpose to offer any evidence 
in my own behalf. The living presence and the 
clear and forcible statement of the one alleged to 

43i 



4 3 2 Nicholas Comenius. 

have been spirited away to the wilds of Shaky 
Hollow, are before you as my vindication. That 
the circumstantial evidence, confirmed apparently 
by my seemingly strange conduct and repeated ab- 
sences from Emden, prior and subsequent to the 
sudden disappearance of Robert Rayland, pointed 
unmistakably to my guilt, would hardly seem to 
admit of a doubt. And yet, notwithstanding the 
intense feeling manifested on all sides, I have 
never doubted for a moment that the time would 
come, sooner or later, when my innocence would 
be fully established. But the many severe trials 
through which I and my grief-stricken family have 
so recently passed, have opened to our hitherto be- 
nighted vision a new hope and the realization of a 
brighter future. 

" I started in life fully conscious of the innumer- 
able blessings in store for a mind ever on the alert 
to grasp every moral and religious opportunity in 
the great struggle. For years I kept in the straight 
and narrow path of a pure and simple faith, turn- 
ing neither to the right nor to the left ; but as time 
rolled on I ceased to be a meek and lowly laborer 
in the vineyard of the Blessed Saviour, and relying 
upon my own strength, set myself up as the ex- 
pounder of a doctrine in direct conflict with the in- 
spired words of that Blessed Book, which in my 
early years I learned to love and venerate at the 
footstool of a sainted mother. These sad words, 
falling as they do from the lips of an old man 



Orlando s Story. 433 

tried in the balance and found wanting, are but 
introductory to a confession I am about to make to 
you, and to the hundreds of misguided victims who 
for so many years have been my devoted followers ; 
many of whom would neither sow nor reap, nor 
allow others to cultivate the soil, resting content 
to await the disappointment which followed my 
unfulfilled predictions." 

Deeply moved by his own strange deliverance, 
Orlando continued: "Many years ago, when filling 
a lucrative position, and in the enjoyment of the 
confidence of a thrifty congregation in a well 
settled community, it was my good fortune to 
spend my summer vacations among the cascades 
of the Highlands. It was while returning from 
one of these delightful annual pilgrimages that I 
unfortunately fell in with the founder and ex- 
pounder of the doctrine of Millerism, William 
Miller, 'the prophet.' After conversing for a time, 
and listening in breathless astonishment to his 
most extraordinary exposition of the fulfilment of 
the prophecy of Daniel, he handed to each of his 
hearers a small pamphlet, entitled ' The Midnight 
Cry.' After carefully reading its contents and 
pondering the same alone in my quiet moments, 
something seemed to whisper to my inward soul : 
'Go, tell it to all the world.' 

"From that moment I was no longer satisfied 
with my pure and simple faith. I returned to my 
flock and cheerfully resigned my position as their 
38 



434 Nicholas Comenius. 

pastor, and became a wanderer on the face of the 
earth. I believed and faithfully proclaimed on 
highway and byway that Jesus would appear a 
second time in the year 1843 i* 1 the clouds of 
Heaven ; that he would raise the righteous dead, 
and judge them together with the righteous living, 
who would be caught up to meet Him in the air ; 
that he would purify the air with fire, causing the 
wicked and all their works to be consumed in the 
general conflagration, and would shut up their 
souls in the place prepared for the devil and his 
angels : that the saints would live and reign with 
Christ on the new earth a thousand years ; that 
then Satan and his wicked spirits would be let 
loose and the wicked dead be raised — this being the 
second resurrection — and being judged, should 
make war upon the saints, be defeated and cast 
down into hell forever. 

" If, for many years, during the lifetime of Miller 
himself, I was doomed to adversities and disap- 
pointments, after his death I continued the work, 
making numerous predictions which likewise one 
after the other failed to come to pass. It was 
among the innocent and unsuspecting residents of 
Shaky Hollow that I at last found an abiding- 
place ; removing in due course of time to this vil- 
lage of Emden, where for years I have industriously 
striven to implant in the hearts of its people the 
doctrine of ' The Midnight Cry. ' At times my 
own disappointment was so great as to almost 



Orlando s Story. 435 

shake my faith in the ultimate fulfillment of its 
prophecies ; but with an obstinacy born of fanati- 
cism, I continued to battle against my better 
judgment. 

" It was during the several nights preceding and 
succeeding the stormy night in which Robert Ray- 
land so mysteriously disappeared from the old 
stone school-house that the saddest event of my life 
occurred, in a low thatched cottage among the 
pines and cedars of Shaky Hollow. The world 
may never care to know, and from the lips of 
Orlando Hoskins shall never learn the true story 
which has led tQ my return to the pure and simple 
faith of my early days. But as calamities are 
oftentimes blessings in disguise, conveying to the 
very depths of the soul the lesson that ' as ye sow 
so shall ye reap,' this double affliction may yet 
prove to be the frail bark destined to convey 
Orlando Hoskins and his sorely-stricken family 
through the rolling billows, over which these many, 
years he has been sailing devoid of either rudder 
or compass, and in the end to bring them safely to 
the Rock of Ages, beyond the reach of the waves. 

" And now, standing as I do before this assembly 
of my former friends and neighbors, I hereby re- 
nounce every letter and syllable of a doctrine con- 
ceived in iniquity and in league with, the devil and 
his angels. Let judge and jury bear witness to 
this confession ; and may these solemn words be 
conveyed to high and low, rich and poor, and even 



436 Nicholas Comenius. 

to the remotest corner of Shaky Hollow, where 
yet dwells many a deluded follower of Orlando 
Hoskins." 

At this trying moment, when all eyes were riv- 
eted upon the penitent old minister, the trampling 
of feet without, followed by the creaking of the old 
door on its rusty hinges, attracted the attention of 
those who sat within the old mansion. Another 
moment, and the portly form of Oscar Bently 
pressed its way into the centre of the group. A 
momentary glance at his outward appearance was 
sufficient to indicate the severe strain through 
which he had passed in his forty hours' search in 
the wilds of Shaky Hollow. That he had made 
important discoveries was noticeable at a glance, 
but whether in the minister's favor or against him 
could only be determined by hearing his story. 

Oscar's statement was substantially as follows: 
Having lost his way the evening previous, he was 
compelled to put up for the night at a cabin at a 
cross-road leading to one of the many caverns 
which during the seven years' struggle for Inde- 
pendence had sheltered hundreds of deserters from 
the Hessian army. Entering this lonely habita- 
tion, and making inquiry as to the missing Robert 
Ray land, Oscar was impressed with the melancholy 
appearance of the inmates — one of whom he recog- 
nized as none else than old Patrick McDeever, 
the master, the other his grief-stricken and broken- 
hearted helpmate. After partaking of a scanty 



The Flower of Shaky Hollow. 437 

meal, a seat was offered him in one corner of the 
stone fire-place, where for some time he sat, vainly 
endeavoring to enlist his unhappy host and hostess 
in conversation, hoping thereby to elicit something 
definite with reference to his important mission. 
For a time the only words uttered were those of 
gentle reproof to three ill-dressed and half-fed 
urchins that lay half-concealed from view on the 
floor in an opposite corner of the old cabin, uncon- 
scious of the mutterings of the storm without, or 
the guests within. 

But as the long moments rolled by in silence 
Oscar's anxiety and suspense increased, until, 
pressing the old schoolmaster for some explanation 
of the deep gloom which seemed to rest upon their 
hearts, he learned the melancholy story from the 
lips of old Patrick, which has since become a 
household legend among the simple-minded people 
of Shaky Hollow, to be repeated and enlarged 
upon as it passes in tradition from generation to 
generation. After replenishing the fire, and draw- 
ing himself into closer proximity to his welcome 
guest, Patrick related in simple, yet forcible lan- 
guage, this story of a broken heart : 

"It is not," said he, "of old Patrick himself, 
and the trials through which he has passed as the 
discarded master of Shaky Hollow school, that I 
would speak ; but of the loss of Myra, our only 
daughter, the Flower of Shaky Hollow. 

" From her childhood Myra, a lovely maiden 



438 Nicholas Cpmenius. 

of unusual intelligence, and the hope and mainstay 
of her devoted mother, had become infatuated with 
the prophetical teachings of the Rev. Orlando 
Hoskins, who many years ago settled among our 
people. Within the little church whose gray out- 
lines may be seen from the window of the old 
cabin, when the November blasts have driven the 
dead leaves from the forest trees, Myra, when but a 
mere child, was deluded by the pld Parson's per- 
suasive appeals. As time wore on, and as Or- 
lando's predictions failed to come to pass, the disap- 
pointment of her ardent hopes and longing desires 
began to prey upon both mind and body, and it be- 
came evident that her end was not far distant. 
Her dying lequest was once more to meet the old 
Parson face to face, having in her last peaceful 
hours awakened to the happy realization of a new 
and undying hope of a blessed hereafter, whose 
foundation rested not upon the teachings of a per- 
nicious theory, but upon the blessed Saviour and 
Him crucified. 

" Night after night Orlando stood by the bedside 
of the dying girl, over in yon corner where the lads 
lie huddled together, returning to his home in 
Emden before .sunrise. Though the Parson was 
gentle and kind, and resorted to every means 
within the power of his faith to rally the faded 
flower of the mountain defile to health and 
strength all his promises of speedy recovery were 
powerless to revive her energies. 



Death of My r a. 439 

" During his last visit, it was evident that upon 
his own conscience were resting grave responsi- 
bilities. That he had lost confidence in his own 
ability to restore the poor girl to life through any 
one of his many miraculous faith-cures, was ap- 
parent to those who sat by her side; while the 
faith of Myra in a higher Power shone forth 
resplendent as her young life fast ebbed away. At 
last, rising to a half-sitting posture, and taking the 
hand of the Parson in her own, and looking straight 
into his eyes, she said in a sweet calm voice : 

'"Orlando Hoskins, as the expounder of a reli- 
gious faith these many years I have known thee, 
worshiping with bended knee at thy ministrations, 
but henceforth I know thee not. The salvation 
that has come to Myra is not of thy faith, nor of 
thy teachings; it rests with me at this moment, 
like the sweet perfume of heaven, falling upon the 
just and the unjust — upon your heart, as well as 
upon my own. Before I close 1113- eyes in peace, 
and pass to my Maker and Redeemer, I ask you, as 
my last dying request, to accept this blessed faith. 
I beseech you to abandon your false doctrines, and 
accept salvation from the lips of one who for so 
many years accepted without a murmur your false 
teachings under the guise of religion. Promise me 
to fulfil my last parting request. Will you?' 

" And as the last words of the dying girl fell to 
a whisper Orlando replied, 'With God's help, I 
will.' 



Burial of Myra. 44 1 

"As Myra's wish was that she should be laid to 
rest the day following, on the highest point of the 
mountain pass, a plain coffin was hastily con- 
structed, and at the hour of noon the earthly re- 
mains of the Flower of Shaky Hollow were con- 
veyed in the old dearborn to their resting place. It 
was a sad picture. On each side of the hearse rode 
a body-gnard of my nearest neighbors and friends, 
while in front, leading the way, sat Orlando on his 
gray mare. Hour after hour we mournfully wended 
our way, passing but a single lonely traveler. The 
shades of night were falling when we discovered to 
our surprise that we had lost our way, and were com- 
pelled to retrace our steps. And so we laid Myra 
to rest on the craggy heights of the mountain sum- 
mit as the full moon came into view. 

"This is the story of Myra, the bright-eyed, 
light-hearted girl, the flower of our flock," sighed 
old Patrick as he raked together the half-dead 
coals: " Go, my friend, and tell it to all the world, 
that Myra, my only daughter, died a Christian, and 
that Orlando Hoskins has been re-converted to the 
same pure and simple faith." 

At the conclusion of Oscar's plain, straight-for- 
ward statement, Orlando Hoskins simply bowed in 
humble acquiscence; the Squire of course declared 
the aged minister innocent, and dismissed the com- 
plaint. In the general reconciliation which fol- 
lowed, and which ultimately extended to the re- 
motest depths of Shaky Hollow, deeply impressed 



442 



Nicholas Conic in 'us. 



with the solemnity of the occasion, Mary Benton 
stepped to the center of the room, and with one 
hand upon the head of Robert and the other on 
that of Orlando, said: "May the blessing of God 




"blessed are the peacemakers." 

rest upon you both, and may the angel of peace 
forever hover over Emden and its people." 

And at parting all joined in the pledge that 
thenceforth peace should reign in Emden. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

THE OLD SCHOOL-HOUSE DESERTED — ROBERT IS 

WANTED ELSEWHERE — HANNAH AS TEACHER — 

MAY-DAY FESTIVAL — THEIR WEDDING. 

Three long winters had come and gone since 
the reconciliation between teacher and Parson so 
happily consummated in the office of Theophilus 
Benton; and Time, the relentless destroyer of 
wind-flower and violet, wild rose and golden rod, 
had been reaping rich harvests among young and 
old. 

On a bleak November day, amid naked woods 
and meadows brown and sere, old Patrick, the 
last of the discarded masters, was laid to rest 
beside his Myra, the child of the forest, at the top 
of the mountain pass; and close by the moss- 
covered church, in the old grave-yard beside Jim 
and Tim, peacefully rest the last earthly remains 
of Bbenezer Lukins, the venerable President of 
Emden school board. While here and there other 
notable changes affecting the material prosperity 
of Emden district were noticeable, the red sand- 
stone school-house now stood as forsaken as the 
deserted fortress beyond. No sweet, soft voice of 

443 



444 Nicholas Comeniiis. 

gladness came from within; no gay peals of 
laughter nor tread of merry feet broke in upon 
the breathless silence. Though the genial sun- 
light of Heaven still found its way through the 
small windows, it fell upon empty benches, cheer- 
less walls and high-topped desk, beneath the raised 
lid of which the old master was wont betimes to 
bury his head as if in deep meditation over the 
solution of some vexed and intricate problem, 
which the key to old Emerson (always securely 
hidden within) was sure to supply, to the entire 
satisfaction of the unconscious youth who stood in 
waiting by his side, amazed at the power of his 
intellect and the fertility of his resources; but the 
little brood of happy workers had flown. Last 
first of December morning one and all had bidden 
the old house a last farewell, and following Robert 
Rayland, entered for the first time the cozy, well- 
equipped modern structure, bearing the superscrip- 
tion, "Emden School." 

In these words engraved on the stone lintel, 
there may be nothing suggestive to the professional 
teacher of to-day, whose eyes are often dazzled by 
the beauty and the stateliness of architectural de- 
sign displayed wherever the blessings of the free 
school system have been most largely felt and the 
broadest school sentiment prevails. But for months 
thereafter, the results of the efforts of Robert, 
though devoid of ostentatious display, were felt 
and appreciated even beyond Emden district. 



Closing Exercises. 445 

With gentle rains and early spring flowers came 
the end of the long winter term of the village 
school of Emden. Every preparation had been 
made by willing hands and anxious hearts to ren- 
der the parting of the teacher from his pupils and 
patrons one long to be remembered. To close the 
school with appropriate exercises, in which the 
boys and girls should participate, had never before 
been the practice in Emden. And what a beauti- 
ful conception these closing exercises are ! How 
they have grown with each succeeding year and 
strengthened with the growth of the system itself, 
leaving the imprint of the teacher indelibly im- 
pressed upon the tender hearts of the young ! 
Years may come and years may go, but these little 
episodes at the end of the school term will ever re- 
main among the brightest and most touching of 
early childhood. While at the opening of the 
school there may be a certain satisfaction, mingled 
with anxiety in anticipation of meeting the new 
teacher and playmates, the hour of parting has a 
peculiar significance of its own. 

It is at the moment when the sad word "Fare- 
well," falls from the lips of the teacher, that the 
lad forgetting his real or imaginary resentments, 
steps forward, and placing his hand in that of the 
teacher, hesitates a moment, and then in an apolo- 
getic tone says: "I know I haven't been doing 
what was right, and I haven't obeyed more than 
half the rules of the school • but I'm awfully sorry, 



446 Nicholas Comenius. 

teacher, and I hope you'll forgive me. I had such 
a heavy feeling against you when I came to school 
this morning that I never thought I could even say 
good-bye ; but it's all gone, and if you'll promise 
to return next winter, I'll promise you right before 
the whole school, that I'll never break another 
rule as long as I live." 

Forgive him? Of course you forgive him ; and 
in after years, when you see him manfully holding 
up his end of the world's work, memory will carry 
you back to the closing exercises of that little 
school, where the lad, now a man, so frankly con- 
fessed : "Teacher, I know I haven't been doing 
what was right." 

And so one after the other, from the rosy-faced, 
bright-eyed girl of eight to the bashful lad of fifteen, 
looks up in his face, bids him a fervent good-bye, 
and then passes homeward. 

In his address upon the ending of his fifth term 
as teacher of the village school, Robert paid a 
glowing tribute to the memory of Old Jimmy, for 
so many years bis predecessor in the old stone 
house ; recounted the hardships through which, in 
their latter days, the other old masters had passed; 
reviewed the past, with its sunshine and clouds of 
adversity; paid a tribute to the memory of Ebe- 
nezer Lukins, the School Board's venerable Presi- 
dent ; and at the same time admonished them to 
remember that from Him above all good things 
come. 



A Mysterious Message. 447 

As he ceased speaking, a sealed envelope was 
placed in his hand. Breaking the seal and glanc- 
ing over its contents, he stood for a moment half 
bewildered. There was a flutter in the little as- 
sembly, the knowing older heads began nodding 
backward and forward in a quizzical manner, and 
a sly wink of the Squire's eye indicated that he 
had guessed the contents of the epistle. 

"You see," continued Nicholas, as he drew 
toward the end of his story, "it was by putting 
this and that together that the Squire was able to 
understand the workings of old Jimmy's mind 
when things weren't running along very smoothly 
over in the old stone house ; and he wasn't to be 
caught napping." 

And so, while the teacher was looking around 
over the school, with big tears in his eyes, the 
Squire said in a confidential manner to the school 
trustees who sat beside him: 

"I'll bet the best copy of Blackstone ever 
printed that the Professor's fortune is sticking 
right inside of that epistle; and so he may just as 
well relieve his conscience and make a clean breast 
of the whole business, for it will come out sooner 
or later, anyway. You see," he continued, with 
one eye on the teacher, while the point of his finger 
was directed from one to the other of the trustees, 
"it's by cultivating the observing faculties that 
you get inside of whatever's going on, and can 
discount the newspapers two to one; for if you 



448 Nicholas Comenius. 

keep your month shut, and your eyes and ears 
open, you can always manage to catch on to the 
best things, which for some reason or other never 
get into print. It's all right to cultivate the mem- 
ory, but take my advice and stick to the observing 
faculties; they'll carry you through life with less 
worry of mind and body than all the figures ever 
taught in Emden school since arithmetic was in- 
vented. You see when the shingles of Solomon's 
Sloan's barn began to flare up like the bark of the 
old shell-bark tree, I just kept on observing and 
smiling; but when the posts of his rail fence went 
down as if they'd been buried in a snow-drift, I'd 
point to the 'Long Lost Friend' and say: 'The 
fellow that never observes, but persists in follow- 
ing the perversity of his own crooked nature, 
deserves no better luck. ' 

"And now I tell you, gentlemen of the School 
Board of Emden district, you may just as well put 
your heads together and begin to look for another 
teacher for Emden school; for either there's a 
fortune lurking within that message for the young 
master, or else there's a wasting away of Theophilus 
Benton's observing faculties, which up to this time 
haven't shown any disposition to part company 
with the old man." 

Robert also felt that, however inclined to reti- 
cence, it would be useless longer to withhold from 
his friends what they had already grasped by intui- 
tion. "It becomes my duty," said he, " to make 



Robert is Promoted. 449 

known to you all the contents of the message 
which was unexpectedly handed me but a moment 
aeo. To one whose mission in life has been to 
labor within the narrow limits of the school among 
the vine-clad hills and valleys of beautiful Emden, 
the unexpected announcement that duty has called 
him to a broader field of usefulness has a deep sig- 
nificance. I should no longer withhold from 
friends true and dear the announcement that I, 
who here stand before you for possibly the last 
time, have been chosen to fill a responsible position 
in a distant state." 

If, 111 after years, the stern realities of life, with 
their responsibilities and the rewards of higher in- 
tellectual development, tended to chill and harden 
Robert Rayland's emotional nature, his thoughts 
would wander back to the scenes of his early 
labors, where he was sure to find consolation, 
recreation and inspiration under the branches of 
the majestic oak, beneath which long years before 
sat the eight old masters, as the words: "All appli- 
cants for schools in Emden district will please 
occupy the benches along the wall, facing the ex- 
aminer," fell chillingly upon their ears. And how 
those other words, uttered by a simple school-girl, 
" Teacher, are you looking for the inn ? Come, 
and I will direct you," would throb through his 
soul, as his mind's eye took in the broad expanse 
of country and the moss-covered church in whose 
old graveyard Jim and Tim are peacefully resting. 
29 



450 Nicholas Comenius. 

A week after the closing exercises of the village 
school, Robert was energetically engaged in the 
duties of the new position in his far-distant home. 
While his scholarship and the purity of his charac- 
ter had never been questioned, there were those 
who now began to look into the early history of 
young Robert Rayland. It soon became known 
that while he had received his education in New 
England, his birth-place was a small hamlet along 
the base of the South Mountain, a village of some 
importance as a manufacturing centre of army 
supplies during the Revolutionary times. We 
mention Robert's birth-place as an historical inci- 
dent, rather than from any desire to reflect upon 
that large class of professional instructors from 
New England soil, who, immediately after the 
adoption of the new system, had found a fruitful 
field for their labors in many other States, and to 
whom, unlike their predecessor, the Yankee school- 
master of thirty years before, the appellation of 
"Schoolmaster Abroad" could not with propriety 
be applied. Most of those young educators were 
cast in a mould entirely different from that of the 
wandering itinerants of the preceding generation, 
whose mission it was 

"To stroll and teach from town to town." 

These young men were trained especially for the 
life of the educational pioneer, in its most compre- 
hensive sense. Wherever they went their influ- 



Robert is Promoted. 45 1 

ence strengthened the system, so that at last, when 
steps were taken to organize Normal schools, hun- 
dreds to the manner born flocked thereto from all 
directions. Country lads, under the influence of 
trained instructors, began to realize their own abil- 
ity, when better equipped by Normal training, to 
fill positions of importance, and soon supplied the 
demand for professional instructors largely from 
the immediate vicinity. In fact, the numbers who 
have attended the various Normal schools within 
the past forty years are perhaps the best evidence 
as well as one of the most important factors in the 
success of our system of education. Every profes- 
sion and business has among its numbers those 
whose early years were spent within the walls of a 
Normal school. They may have long since de- 
serted the teacher's calling to engage in other more 
profitable avocations of life, and in so doing may 
have lowered the standard of the teaching profes- 
sion; but their influence and inspiration, in addi- 
tion to their force of character, have been an 
element of strength to the system wherever support 
was needed. 

If the withdrawal of Robert temporarily cast a 
gloom over the village of Emden, it was of short 
duration; for with rapid strides, the village school 
took a high place among its sisterhood of schools. 
Over them the sweet influence of womanhood 
began to assume dominion; and among them she 
will ever continue to wield the sceptre of love and 



45 2 Nicholas Comenius. 

affection. Five years, to older people, were as 
a fleeting shadow; but to the young hearts who on 
that New Year's morn had bidden farewell to 
Hannah, as she was wrapped in the robes of the 
old sleigh-coach which was to convey her far from 
friends and old associations, these years had an in- 
expressible meaning. How many of her young 
friends, now grown into womanhood and manhood, 
could then have foreseen the return of Hannah, 
years later, as the successor of Robert Rayland in 
the village school of Eradeu? — not arrayed, how- 
ever, as their young minds had so often pictured 
her, in silks and satins, but adorned with the 
graces of true womanly character. 

If the transition from master to teacher, as ex- 
emplified in the reform which had substituted for 
a Jimmy McCune a Robert Rayland, was as com- 
plete as it was sudden, the induction of Hannah 
into the village school at this critical period was 
the final step in advance, which was to assure the 
perpetuity of the system itself. And so when 
Hannah carried with her into the school of Emden 
the results of a thorough Normal training, it sent a 
thrill of renewed hope through the hearts of the 
supporters of the new system — a hope that the hour 
of emancipation had at last come, in which the 
true worth of young womanhood was to be felt and 
recognized in every school district of the state. It 
was not that any immediate advantages were to 
accrue to the village school in the high standard it 



Hannah as a Teacher. 453 

had already attained under Robert Ray land, but 
rather in the establishment of a principle — the 
recognition of woman as a factor in the teaching 
force of the State at large. Hannah Benton at that 
early day was but the representative of a type of 
young women claiming recognition all over the 
Commonwealth. Their numerical strength, which 
at the adoption of the system was but an insignifi- 
cant factor of the whole, has since assumed the 
proportion of nearly three to one. 

It is not to be presumed that Hannah, accom- 
plished as she was, would be permitted to enter the 
duties of her calling without opposition. Although 
following methods wherein perfect discipline lay at 
the very foundation of success, there were those 
who were ever ready to predict her failure. If 
Robert spared the rod, it was not that he did not 
possess the physical ability to apply it, should it 
become necessary to do so. Hannah, on the other 
hand, still a mere girl in the eyes of many, was 
possessed of no such reserve of physical force ; and 
even yet it was considered almost suicidal to en- 
trust the unruly elements of the neighborhood to 
those who could not swing the birch rod with the 
strong arm of a backwoodsman. In fact, at the 
present day, in districts remote from the centres of 
population, the rights of woman are discriminated 
against for the avowed reason that the strong arm 
of a male teacher is considered absolutely necessary 
to the success of the school. 



454 Nicholas Comenhis. 

Another sort of opposition came from a class of 
school-ma'ams whose methods were still like those 
of the pedantic old-time masters who yet held 
sway in adjoining districts, and who were ever on 
the alert to join hands with their gentler, if not 
younger co-workers, in holding up the village girl 
to scorn and ridicule. The confidence and sym- 
pathy existing between these schoolmistresses and 
schoolmasters were at times something peculiarly 
touching to behold. Whenever occasion offered, 
these old-timers, "birds of a feather," would flock 
together to defend and uphold the system of the 
old masters, with a tenacity of purpose which com- 
pelled the wonder, if not the admiration, of the 
advocates of progress. 

"But when, with the advent of Normal train- 
ing, the various synonyms, master, pedagogue, 
tutor, instructor, professor, were united under the 
comprehensive term of Teacher, which includes 
them all," here commented Nicholas, " it was no 
longer a question of age, long service or former 
conditions. It was the survival of the fittest in 
the teacher's calling, as it has ever been in all 
other departments of life, and as it will continue 
to be to the end of time ; and so the old master and 
mistress of by-gone days fell by the wayside, and, 
like Jim and Tim, were laid to rest with the 
happy consciousness of duty well performed. Of 
many of them it might truthfully be said : ' Well 
done, good and faithful servant.' " 



Five 'Years' Changes. 455 

Five more years had made further changes in the 
life of Hannah Benton, the unpolished diamond 
of a few years before. Then her daily life lay 
within the limits of the village school and her own 
pleasant homestead; since, she had risen to the 
head of one of the leading seminaries in a distant 
city. Following in her footsteps, a number of her 
former schoolmates had taken a course in Normal 
training, and were later engaged as teachers in the 
schools of the district. 

As a result of the deep impression made upon his 
mind and heart, the Rev. Orlando Hoskins had be- 
come an ardent advocate of popular education, and 
as if to atone for his previous shortcomings, had 
entrusted Malinda to the care of a matronly lady in 
charge of a young ladies' college, from which she 
had graduated and subsequently opened in the 
village a select school for young girls. 

Squire Benton, or "The Squire" as he was still 
familiarly known, then and for many years there- 
after led the life of a retired gentleman. His 
Opinions on all knotty and conflicting law points 
were never grudgingly withheld from his successor, 
who had read law under his personal supervision, 
and who has since been reaping a name and fame 
in another commonwealth. While Mrs. Benton, 
during these years, had of course grown older, she 
was still the same dignified woman. Her features 
seemed to grow more beautiful as the wrinkles of 
time impressed themselves upon her forehead. 



456 Nicholas Comenius. 

And now, dear reader, our story draws near its 
end. At Kmden, on a beautiful May morning, 
the sun seems to shine as it never shone before on 
the hearts of young and old, without a cloud to 
dim the azure of the heavens above, or cast a 
shadow over the dreams of those below. But why 
this grand ovation, this meeting and greeting, this 
clamor, this hurly-burly, as rider after rider, with 
fair maiden perched behind, hurriedly presses his 
way toward the village green? Why all these 
venders of cakes, bonbons and small beer, lining 
both sides of the roadway? And the aged Parson! 
What impels him to hurry to and fro through the 
village on his little gray mare, marshaling into 
line, here and there, a stray horseman ? Why is 
everybody dressed in the brightest of colors, with 
nosegay on coat or bosom ? What has come over 
the dreams of Oscar Bently and the regulars of the 
General Washington ? 

Why should the moss-covered church and the 
ancient parsonage, and even the old school-house, 
be decorated with evergreens and wild honey- 
suckles? Ah, it is the revival of an old and cher- 
ished custom — the May-day festival — the last sur- 
vival of the holiday festivities held in out-of-the- 
way towns and villages, years ago, when every 
house put on a holiday garb — when the farmer 
laid aside his plow, the schoolboy his books, and 
when business of every kind gave way to merry- 
making and enjoyment. But how many yet living 



Wedding Under the May Pole. 457 

can recall this, the last of Emden's time-honored 
customs, or the merry scenes of that lovely May 
morning, when fresh from the craggy heights of 
Shaky Hollow came the May-pole, loaded upon 
the strongest wagon in all the country round ? 

"Ah, my young friends," said Nicholas, "how 
it thrills the old man's heart when he recalls to 
mind that picture never to be forgotten ? There, 
along through the village, came the wagon, with 
its thirty oxen, each with a nosegay tied to its 
horns, and the wagon and pole decorated with 
ribbons and flowers; and upon it sat Hannah 
Benton and Robert Rayland, the former to be 
honored and crowned by the multitude as May 
Queen, and afterward both to be made one in the 
holy bonds of matrimony by the Rev. Orlando 
Hoskins." 

Dear reader, is your sensitive nature shocked, 
and have the two objects of your admiration fallen 
in your estimation? Can you imagine "the pro- 
prieties" which would justify two cultured people 
entering into the sacred bonds of matrimony amid 
such scenes of confusion in an out-door promis- 
cuous gathering at the present day? Be not too 
hasty, my over-fastidious friend. The impropriety, 
if such it be, lies not in the customs which pre- 
vailed in the good old days of simplicity of rural 
home life, but rather in the degeneration of 
modern-day habits and morals. Robert Rayland 
was neither over-fastidious nor over-elated with the 



Wedding Under the May Pole. 459 

honors that had been thrust upon him. His early 
training had placed no barrier between himself and 
the common people. If anything, it had broad- 
ened his nature and taught him what many young 
students since have failed to comprehend, that fine 
clothes and a few years of higher educational facil- 
ities make neither a Lincoln, a Clay nor a Webster. 
He may, it is true, have failed in the modern 
theory of earning his bread by the sweat of his 
father's or his grandfather's brow. 

But while the reader may be indulgently inclined 
to overlook the indiscretion of Robert, upon what 
principle of modern-day etiquette, they will ex- 
claim, can the gentler sex justify Hannah Benton, 
an accomplished teacher, even at that early day, 
being perched upon an improvised country convey- 
ance, bedecked with wild flowers and evergreens, 
first to be crowned the May Queen, and then to 
become the wife of Robert Rayland ? 

"Yes, dear reader," concluded the aged Come- 
nius, "out on the village green, under the May- 
pole and close by the moss-covered church, where 
now rest in grateful remembrance Bbenezer Lukins, 
the Squire, Jim and Tim, and almost beneath the 
branches of the old oak, occurred that event, which 
Nicholas Comenius will never tire of rehearsing 
while he lingers among the living. Here, amid 
the peals of the old church bell, on that lovely 
morning, surrounded by young and old, Robert 
and Hannah gave their hands and hearts each to 



460 Nicholas Comenius. 

the other, as the aged Parson repeated the beautiful 
and solemn words, ' Robert Rayland, wilt thou 
have this woman, Hannah Benton, to be thy 
wedded wife? Wilt thou love and honor her so 
long as ye both shall live ?' Repeating the like 
questions to Hannah, he pronounced them man 
and wife; following with the words: 'The Lord 
bless and keep you, Amen.' 

"A moment later the solemn service was fol- 
lowed by a burst of joyful merry-making, though 
a tear trickled down the faces of some older people 
who looked upon the face of Orlando Hoskins as 
he kissed the bride and shook the hand of Robert 
Rayland. Impressive as the scene had been, it 
was rendered doubly so when Malinda and her 
mother made their way through the crowd and 
congratulated the young couple, wishing them 
many years of happiness and prosperity. 

"It was only, however, when Mother Benton, in 
her quiet, unassuming manner, stepped forward 
into the centre of the little circle, that those pres- 
ent began to feel and realize the unseen power 
through which the bright sunlight of education 
had dispelled the dark clouds of ignorance and 
superstition which for two generations had held 
the minds and consciences of the good people of 
Emden in subjection. 'All honor to Mary Benton, 
and may her spirit of love and good-will continue 
to permeate every domestic fireside,' came the 
voices of one and all, as they scattered to join in 



Peace and Good Will. 461 

the festivities which only a May-day celebration 
could produce. 

"As the last faint glimmer of the descending- 
sun began to disappear through the shades of 
Shaky Hollow, one after the other bade adieu to 
the last scene of Emden's May-day festivities, to 
seek their own firesides, leaving Robert and 
Hannah to spend the days of their honeymoon 
amonof kind friends and old associations." 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

PREPARING TO LEAVE NICHOLAS — STRANGERS AR- 
RIVE — NICODEMUS ESCORTS THEM — THEIR 
IDENTITY REVEALED — CONCLUSION. 

It was well toward noon on the day following 
that Thanksgiving ever to be remembered with 
gratitude, that we took our last stroll through Em- 
den town, preparatory to our return to witness the 
closing exercises of possibly the most successful in- 
stitute ever held in the metropolis of Blackwell 
county. Every effort had been made that time 
and money could command, to give the closing ex- 
ercises such standing and dignity as, in the esti- 
mation of the young Superintendent, were best 
calculated to ensure hearty co-operation and har- 
mony among the great body of teachers and the 
public at large. The lecturer for this, the final 
session, had been secured at great expense ; and 
being an ex-United States Senator from one of the 
great belt of States lying beyond the Mississippi, 
it was but natural to suppose that his presence 
would attract more than the average attention. 

"It is hardly to be supposed," said Nicholas, as 
we stood face to face with one of the many old 
462 



Forty Years Later. 463 

landmarks yet prominent among the new condi- 
tions, "that very striking changes would be notice- 
able in Emden town, since forty years ago, when 
Robert Rayland taught the village school, except 
possibly in that steady growth of intellectual de- 
velopment that had its origin under the inspiration 
of the young teacher. Yes, forty years have rolled 
by since Robert bade farewell to one and all." 

"And never once returned to the old town, with 
its early associations?" we asked. 

"Yes, once, but 'twas many years ago, while 
Mother Benton still lived. Then it was my pleas- 
ure to take Hannah and the young master by the 
hand for the last time, as they stepped into the old 
stage-coach for their distant home. But I have 
never lost hope during all the years since, that the 
love he bore the old town would one day reassert 
itself, and that Robert would once more long for 
the hillsides and valleys of beautiful Emden. 
Singular as it may seem," continued Comenius, 
" the programme for this very evening's entertain- 
ment bears the name of a Senator Rayland, and 
only a week ago the Postmaster received a letter 
post-marked Washington, D. C, asking whether 
the little red sandstone school-house was still stand- 
ing beneath the venerable oak as it stood forty 
years ago. Of course there may be nothing in 
these coincidences," added Nicholas, as though try- 
ing to formulate some rational connection between 
these facts. 



464 Nicholas Comenius. 

"True enough, my venerable friend, but the 
name of the lecturer for the evening happens to be 
Ryland instead of Rayland — only a slight dissimi- 
larity in the spelling," we suggested. 

" Yes, yes, but the change of a letter or two has 
often changed the ownership of a landed estate, as 
I have discovered," came the retort as Nicholas 
stepped into the post-office, leaving us for the time 
to pursue our sight-seeing alone. 

As we reached the old town pump our attention 
was attracted by the presence of Nicodemus, who 
was earnestly engaged in a spirited conversation 
with several elderly gentlemen and a matronly lady 
of perhaps sixty, who had alighted from a handsome 
coach in front of the old inn only a moment before. 

"Ah, ha," exclaimed Nicodemus, as he grasped 
the hand first of one and then of the other, with 
the freedom that only the presidency of a collegiate 
institute could inspire; "glad to welcome to Em- 
den soil strangers with daughters to educate! Not 
another institution in the land that affords better 
facilities for the proper care and training of young 
ladies than Emden Seminary. Step right across 
the way, Madam, and I'll introduce you to Ma- 
linda, the matron, the only daughter of the Rev. 
Orlando Hoskins, who many years ago held forth 
in the ivy-covered parsonage down by the old 
church." 

"Malinda, did you say?" suggested the gentle- 
man, with a slight tremor in his voice. 



Nicodemus and the Visitors. 465 

" Yes; the poor girl had her own trials and mis- 
fortunes in her younger days, but they've all been 
a blessing in disguise. Disappointed, you see, in 
her early love affairs ; but experience has proven 
that these disappointments, especially if they come 
during early years, always insure discipline and 
stability of character in one's after life. 

"I am sorry to be compelled to confess to the 
president of a young ladies' seminary that my own 
family consists of four grown boys, instead of an 
equal number of girls," said the lady, with a smile 
and a blush, as preparations were being made to 
re-enter their comfortable carriage. 

" Sorry to hear it, madam, but maybe it's all for 
the best. Won't be any danger of their running 
away with a young schoolmaster, as was the case 
with Hannah, the eldest of Squire Benton's four 
daughters." 

"Squire Benton ! — and is the Squire still a resi- 
dent of the town ?" 

"Why, bless you, no! After Hannah left the 
village, the Squire died of a broken heart, and 
Mother Benton followed soon after. In fact, 
strangers, there aren't any of the old residenters 
living except old Nicholas Comenius, long ago 
Superintendent of Black well county; and the only 
companion that's left him is the little red sand- 
stone school-house down near by the village green, 
under the great oak. Seems that the old house, 
with the thoughts of the old master Jimmy, and 

30 



466 Nicholas Comenius. 

his worthy successor young- Robert Rayland, who 
many years ago married Hannah Benton, the 
Squire's daughter, have been keeping the old man 
as fresh and green as the old oak tree itself." 

"Can you, my friend, direct us to the old school- 
house?" said the elderly gentleman. 

"Come this way, only a short distance to the old 
structure," said Nicodemus, as he led the way, 
only too willing to lend his aid to those who he 
had reason to feel might in the end say a good 
word for the most worthy institution which he had 
the honor to represent as its president. And so 
through the streets of Kmden Nicodemus con- 
ducted the visitors to the little red sandstone 
school-house, followed at a safe distance by Stephen 
Smithers and Teddy. 

A moment later Nicholas rejoined us, uncon- 
scious of the episode that had occurred almost 
within his hearing. What a strange combination 
of circumstances! Who could the strangers be? 
Could that elderly gentleman be Robert, or Senator 
Rayland, the lecturer of the evening? Could there 
have been simply an error in the spelling of the 
name ! Could the matronly-looking lady be 
Hannah Benton, whose young image the aged 
father had so indelibly impressed upon our minds? 
Had Nicodemus, in his enthusiasm, lost the 
shrewdness for which he had been noted from the 
day he first entered the village? What apology or 
amends could the old man make for the apparent 



The Lost are Found. 467 

insult to Robert and Hannah, if such they should 
ultimately prove to be? But aside from the pecu- 
liar position in which Nicodemus had placed him- 
self, how should we break the startling discovery, 
if such it were, to Nicholas Comenius? Or had we 
only imagined we had seen Robert and Hannah? 

To dismiss the little drama from our mind was 
perhaps after all the very best to be done under the 
circumstances. And so from one point of interest 
to another we proceeded to wend onr way, until 
the hour of noon -once more found us under the 
roof of the hospitable Comenius, arranging for an 
early afternoon departure for the county town. 
We had almost forgotten the occurrence, when a 
rap at the door of the old homestead startled Nich- 
olas from the reverie into which he had fallen; 
and a moment later in stepped Nicodemus, as pale 
as a sheet and trembling from head to foot. 

"Nicholas! Nicholas!" cried Nicodemus, "the 
lost are found! yea, verily, the dead have been 
restored to life!" 

"Nicodemus, are you bewitched? Speak out 
and explain yourself! Has another of those peri- 
odical spells overtaken you, Nicodemus, or has Old 
Nick at last taken possession of the old sinner, as 
a punishment for the abuse often heaped upon 
those who now rest in peace over in the churchyard 
beside Jim and Tim? Begone, you old" — 

But before another word could be uttered, there, 
resting on each arm of the easy reclining- chair, sat 



468 



Nicholas Comcnius. 



Hannah and Robert, with arm encircling- the 
aged patriarch's neck, while little Teddy and 
Stephen Smithers stood smiling within the open 
doorway. 




FRIENDS REUNITED. 

Yes, there in the old homestead, near by the 
majestic oak, beneath which still stood the rem- 
nant of the little red sandstone school-house, sat 
Robert and Hannah — Robert, now a Senator of 
world-wide reputation, and Hannah — the mother 
of four stalwart lads — verily a second Mother 
Benton. 



Conclusion. 469 

For what passed between the aged father and 
the young schoolmaster of forty years ago we have 
no words. We have fulfilled our mission. We 
have given you, largely from his own lips, the 
story of Nicholas Comenius, the big-hearted, 
broad-minded pioneer of the early days of the 
common school system. A few years more, and 
he too will peacefully rest over near the gray old 
church, beside his old friend Jimmy, the former 
master of the village school. If any there be 
among my readers who wish for the sequel, they 
must follow Robert and Hannah to their far- 
distant home, beyond the broad Mississippi, "the 
father of waters," and there gather from them the 
inspiration that may thrill the hearts of the rising 
generation with the realization of a brighter and 
a more perfect future. 



